It has not been that long ago that we all would have scoffed at the idea of the Oakland getting to the Super Bowl, but recent seasons have shown the Raiders on the rise. Of course, some of the local betting might be influenced by the Raiders pending move to Sin City, but even without that factor Oakland is not a bad pick.
“If (quarterback Derek) Carr stays healthy, they should be fine. They were playing at an all-time level before he got hurt. If he’s back to 100 percent, I think they’ll do super.” - Nick Bogdanovich, Las Vegas sports book director
The AFC West division rival Chiefs recent handling of the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots might cause some to rethink their position but look for the silver and black to stay near the top of the pecking order over the first few weeks of the season.