The Las Vegas Raiders fell short of all expectations last season. After a promising interim stint for Antonio Pierce, his first full campaign as head coach was an abject disaster. Once hired for his ability to connect with players, Pierce lost the locker room and the faith of every Raiders fan in Sin City. Now his replacement is one of the most respected coaches of all time in Pete Carroll — a Super Bowl and college football champion and, in a few months, the oldest NFL coach of all time.
The Carroll hire was met with equal parts fascination and scrutiny. On one hand, he's a proven winner and a great coach. On the other hand, he's almost 74 years old, which puts him on the clock. He won't coach for much longer before sailing off into the sunset of retirement. For a four-win team, hiring such a blatant "win-now" coach felt a bit incongruous.
But it's clear that Las Vegas is not interested in a rebuild, but more so the instant construction of a winner. Tom Brady's hands were all over this offseason, from front office and coaching hires to personnel decisions. Geno Smith is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL. Few rookies will render a more immediate impact than Ashton Jeanty, who might lead the league in touches out of the gate.
Las Vegas has a plan, and one bettor is buying in full-stop.
Raiders Super Bowl bet shows way too much faith in unproven formula
Yahoo Sports is tracking all the biggest Super Bowl LX bets at MGM. Right now, the biggest payout would be $2.5 million for a patron who dropped $25,000 on the Raiders to win it all at 100-1 odds.
Frankly... those are good odds. This Raiders team has the infrastructure to surprise folks this season. If Carroll can install his culture and his system seamlessly, it's not hard to imagine Las Vegas cracking the postseason race. The Raiders are $40 million under the cap, so their big surge might happen next season, but this team is trending in the right direction, depending on your confidence in those steering the ship.
That said... $25,000 is not a small sum. Well, it is for some folks, and odds are this bettor is not staking his life savings on a Raiders Super Bowl. But it's a lot of money. And while a $2.5 million payday sounds great, the odds are, quite literally, stacked against the Raiders in a division that includes Kansas City, Denver and Los Angeles, not to mention other AFC heavyweights like Buffalo and Baltimore.
Raiders are on the come up, but lets pump the breaks
Barring an unexpected, last-second blockbuster trade — Micah Parsons, anyone? — the Raiders aren't really a smart bet to win the whole shebang. Make the playoffs? Sure. Carroll's success was a relative constant in Seattle and the Raiders did make several notable upgrades, in addition to hiring a coach who can rally the troops. But the talent disparity between Vegas and other AFC contenders is steep. We might need to give the Raiders another year or two to reach their peak.
If you have $25,000 to burn and can afford an ill-fated Super Bowl bet on the off chance of a Christmas miracle, go for it. Who am I to stop you. But if you're looking to deploy your money in a smart, calculated fashion, I'd advise against this particular gamble.