The Oakland Raiders odds are plummeting after the squad lost its star quarterback Derek Carr during the team’s week 16 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Bay Area franchise is now listed at +6600 to win Super Bowl 51 at online site Bovada, the worst odds of any team in the playoffs.
The loss of Carr forced coach Jack Del Rio to insert backup Matt McGloin, and while he was able to close the deal on the Colts, he was downright awful during the Raiders’ final regular season game against the Denver Broncos. He was also later sidelined with a shoulder injury, which brought third string rookie Connor Cook into the game.
The loss of Carr and McGloin is devastating for the 12-4 Raiders. In the playoffs for the first time since 2002, Oakland owner Mark Davis is actively pursuing relocating to Las Vegas.
The surprising run by the Raiders was unexpected by most NFL observers, and has reenergized the struggling team. But it will likely come to a close this Saturday during the Wild Card round.
Raiders vs. Texans
Oakland’s loss on Sunday gave Kansas City the AFC West Division title, and with it, a coveted first-round bye. Now, the Raiders must travel to Houston to face the AFC South winners on their home turf.
All eyes will be on the quarterback play, as the Texans will start backup Brock Osweiler over Tom Savage after he suffered a concussion last weekend. Vegas has Houston as the favorite, with Oakland being spotted about 3.5 points by most major sportsbooks.
Davis has repeatedly said he wants to leave Oakland, but he wants to do it on a winning note. He’s remained committed to bringing the city a Super Bowl during his talks with Las Vegas leaders and financiers.
After Carr’s injury, CBS cameras caught Davis in a state of disbelief as the quarterback was carted off the field. It appears that Raiders title so desired by Davis won’t be coming in 2017.
The Westgate SuperBook lists the raiders at 100/1 to win the Super Bowl. Even if the Raiders are able to survive with Cook and get by Houston, they would then face either the New England Patriots (14-2) or Kansas City Chiefs (12-4).
Vegas Impact
The expected sad ending to Oakland’s season should only fuel Davis’ wishes to head to the Mojave Desert. A year ago he tried to move to Los Angeles, but the owners voted in favor of allowing the Rams to tap into the coveted City of Angels market.
He hopes his luck will change during this offseason. Funding is already in place for the proposed $1.9 billion stadium to be built just steps from the Las Vegas Strip.
Davis needs 24 of the league’s 32 owners to vote in his favor in order to move the franchise to Nevada. Sports betting has long kept professional sports away from Vegas, but that opinion seems to be changing among the chief officers of the Big Four leagues.