The experts are practically split right down the middle on Sunday’s Raiders vs. Jets Week 8 game, with Las Vegas holding a measly 12-10 edge in total picks. But believe it or not, the most brutal vote of no confidence for New York is coming right from its own turf.
Nobody Can Agree, But Everyone Sees the Same Mess
You’d think for a game between two struggling teams, the “experts” would have a clear favorite, but nope. The Raiders Wire staff is leaning Vegas, picking them 3-1 with an average score of 22-20. NFL.com’s five analysts were almost as divided, with three picking the Raiders: Gennaro Filice went 21-17, Bobby Kownack picked 21-20, and Dan Parr saw a 24-23 win. On the flip side, Brooke Cersosimo had the Jets 22-20, and Jeremy Bergman went with New York 19-14, basically throwing his hands up. Bergman nailed the vibe, saying these are “two 3-5 teams in the making, solid rosters without winning instincts.” Oof.
Their Own Backyard Is Throwing Shade and Kirk Cousins Is Getting Blitzed
Over at CBS Sports, Pete Prisco is the most down on the Raiders, calling for a lopsided 27-16 Jets win. He thinks defenses have “figured out how to rattle the veteran quarterback,” pointing out that Kirk Cousins has been blitzed a lot the past two weeks. His colleague Tyler Sullivan disagrees, though, taking the Raiders 24-21. ESPN’s panel went 2-1 for the Jets, with Rich Maldonado picking 24-20 and Eric Moody at 26-23. Maldonado expects New York to keep pounding the run game against the Raiders’ defense. Seth Walder, however, saw the Raiders winning 24-20. Even ESPN’s Football Power Index only gives the Raiders a 52% chance to win. Bleacher Report’s panel was almost dead even, splitting 4-3 for New York straight up. Gary Davenport, Wes O’Donnell, and Brent Sobleski went with the Raiders. Maurice Moton summed up the whole situation perfectly, saying “Both of these teams are desperate for a win.”
But the real gut punch for Jets fans? Their own local writers. Four of the five Jets writers in the USA TODAY Network’s Northeast group picked Las Vegas! Bob Jordan of the Asbury Park Press went 30-17, Bert Bainbridge of NorthJersey.com picked 30-20, and Brian Marron had it 27-17. Dave Rivera picked the Raiders 23-20, and his reasoning stung: “The Jets weren’t able to take care of business against the winless Dolphins team last week.” Only Mike Dougherty of lohud.com sided with the home team, predicting a tight 27-24 Jets victory.
Honestly, Sunday’s game is going to be a nail-biter. Ten of fifteen score predictions are within four points, so get ready for a battle. Maurice Moton nailed it: both these teams are desperate for a win. Let’s see if the Raiders can pull it off, or if the Jets can prove their own local writers wrong.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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