Are the Las Vegas Raiders a Better-Than-Advertised Super Bowl Bet?

As of early August 2021, the Las Vegas Raiders have +10000 to win Super Bowl LVI, according to BetUS. Not long ago, they sat at 80/1 odds, and if you’re puzzled, you’re not the only one.

The Raiders had one of the best passing attacks in football in 2020, with Derek Carr again throwing for over 4,000 yards. They have a beefed-up offensive line, a stellar running game, and a budding group of pass-catchers led by Darren Waller.

If there is one longshot Super Bowl bet to make, the Las Vegas Raiders may be that bet. Because who else is there, anyway? The New York Jets? Cincinnati Bengals? Detroit Lions? Houston Texans? Clearly, the Raiders are the far more talented football team here.

So if you’re looking to place a bet on a team with long odds, the Raiders may be it.

Let’s talk about them. 

Las Vegas Raiders Offseason

Here’s what the Las Vegas Raiders did to improve their team over the offseason.

They signed running back Kenyan Drake, who was solid but unspectacular during his previous stops in Phoenix and Miami. Either way, Drake is at worst, a solid RB2 behind Josh Jacobs, one of the league’s top bruisers.

Thumbs up if you’re ready for LA 👍😁 pic.twitter.com/ViJNnmQIH5

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 17, 2021

Yannick Ngakoue has bounced around the league, but he’s still a productive pass rusher. Perhaps he’s finally found a permanent home in Vegas after spending time in Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Jacksonville.

Quinton Jefferson is another strategic puzzle piece, having been brought over from the Buffalo Bills. Ditto for wide receiver John Brown. Brown, like teammate Henry Ruggs, is a speed demon who will pose as a deep threat. Given Carr’s ability to stretch the field in recent seasons, look for Brown to produce early.

Nick Martin and Casey Hayward will also see opportunities to start at their respective positions and don’t count out defensive lineman Solomon Thomas.

Overall, many popular names signed with the Las Vegas Raiders over the offseason, giving a team with +10000 to win the Super Bowl a much more favorable chance. At least on paper.

They also hit the defensive backfield hard during the NFL Draft. The Raiders had one of the worst secondaries in the league in 2020, but that will change with the arrivals of Trevon Moehrig, Divine Deablo, Nate Hobbs, and Tyree Gillespie.

Alex Leatherwood was the team’s top draft pick and he immediately upgraded the offensive line.  

Las Vegas Raiders Offense

Derek Carr is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. How many 4,000-plus-yard seasons and quarterback ratings of 100 or better does he need before we consider him as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks?

Josh Jacobs has a reputation for being one of the league’s most bruising backs and Kenyan Drake showed off his versatility in Phoenix and Miami. The Raiders also have a favorable fullback in Alec Ingold. Yes, fullbacks still exist.

John Brown was a great pickup at wide receiver. Henry Ruggs III will benefit from Brown’s presence in the passing game, while Hunter Renfrow will continue to produce well in underneath routes. Willie Snead is another name to watch as far as wide receivers go.

Last season, we all had George Kittle, Mark Andrews, and Zach Ertz ahead of Waller. Here in 2021, it’s clear Waller has passed everyone besides Kelce on the aforementioned list.

Richie Incognito is the league’s nastiest player and fits the prototype for what it means to be a Raider. He will return and lead the offensive line unit with his experience, mean streak, and tenacity. Denzelle Good was once nearly “crowned” Mr. Irrelevant. But the former seventh-round pick has carved out a niche role.

Kolton Miller has developed into one of the league’s better tackles, and newcomer Alex Leatherwood will join him on the other end. Jimmy Morrissey will also compete for time, at center behind Nick Martin.

Overall, the Las Vegas Raiders have one of the league’s best quarterbacks, a productive duo at running back, 4 capable pass catchers, and a group of maulers along the offensive line. And at +10000 to win the Super Bowl, things are looking pretty favorable for this franchise.

Las Vegas Raiders Defense

Perhaps their inept defense from a season ago is why the Las Vegas Raiders face such long odds to win the Super Bowl. But you can’t blame the pass rush, which starts with Maxx Crosby.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2019, Crosby was supposed to be the caddy to fourth overall pick, Clelin Ferrell. Fast forward to 2021, and Crosby is the star performer while Ferrell continues to toil as the understudy.

Now that the Raiders have Yannick Ngakoue, look for him to step up and complement Crosby while Ferrell fades into a backup role. Unless the latter can find a way to redeem himself. And don’t forget about Carl Nassib; the pass rush specialist boasts prototype size and has also, at times, outperformed Ferrell.

No, Thomas did not live up to his draft expectations with the San Francisco 49ers. But look for him to possibly resurrect his career in 2021.

Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton once again will anchor the linebacking units. Both are capable players and along with Nicholas Morrow and Darron Lee, provide more than adequate performers in the center of the team’s defense.

The Raiders struggled in the secondary and in response, they drafted 4 players in the secondary, including 3 safeties. They also brought back Karl Joseph after he spent a year with the Cleveland Browns.

Casey Hayward also comes over from the Los Angeles Chargers, and De’Vante Bausby arrives from their division rival, the Denver Broncos.

There is also Jonathan Abram and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, among other players in the secondary that boasts experience.

Daniel Carlson has been up and down over the first 3 seasons of his career, but the Raiders love his size and strong leg. He’s essentially a leaner version of Sebastian Janikowski, the team’s kicker from 2000 to 2017.

A.J. Cole III will handle the punting duties and he’s one of the best in the league at pinning the opponent deep inside the 20-yard-line. Out of 103 career punts, Cole has landed 49 of them within the 20.

Once again, our +10000 longshots will likely win the field position battle. And if the defense even improves to a halfway-decent unit, the Raiders are once again looking like a better-than-advertised Super Bowl bet. 

Are the Las Vegas Raiders Better Than Given Credit?

I cringed when I saw the Raiders sat at +8000 a short time ago. Upon looking at their odds before writing today’s post it was even more surprising to see them down to +10000 longshots with about 5 teams facing longer odds.

Not that the Raiders are anywhere near the best Super Bowl bet in the league. But given their overall talent on offense and improving defense, they’re far better than +10000. At worst, this team should be +5000, and maybe no higher than +3500 since they’re still the third most talented team in the AFC West.

Plus, they have lesser talent on paper than 3 teams from the AFC North, 3 from the AFC East, 2 from the AFC West, and 2 from the AFC South. Again, this is on paper, which would give them, at best, the 11th most talented team in the AFC. Perhaps it’s why they’re facing such long odds.

But then again, if there’s ever a prime candidate for a surprise team in 2021, it’s the Las Vegas Raiders. Odds are, they’re not going to win Super Bowl LVI. But if you’re one of those bettors looking to place a cheap wager on a high-risk team, the Las Vegas Raiders are it. 

Place Your Bets Now!

Conclusion

The Las Vegas Raiders are much better than their +10000 show. No, they’re still a long way away from being the best in the AFC, but this team has far more talent than what oddsmakers and experts give them credit for.
 
At best, they’re an above-average football team and at worst, they’re average. So they’re still among the middle of the pack when it comes to ranking them among the league’s 32 teams if that. However, if there’s ever a low-tier team to take a cheap chance on, the Raiders are it.

What are your thoughts on the Las Vegas Raiders? Do you think they’re better than +10000 to win the Super Bowl? Tell us your opinion in the comments and we are looking forward to reading your take.