Someone Has To Win In Battle Of Bad Teams

Giants vs. Raiders, 4:05 ET

By this point in the season, almost everything is figured out. Sure, there are still some "t's" to cross and some "i's" to dot, but for the most part, we know who is in the playoffs, and those that don't really have a chance anymore. We know there are still some things that teams are fighting for as well, even if they have locked things up. For the Giants and the Raiders, neither has had a chance at the playoffs in about 7 weeks, but they are still fighting for who finishes with a worse record. 

The Giants are 2-13 and haven't won a game on the road this season. I suppose that shouldn't come as much of a shock for New York, considering that the team isn't very good at home, so why would they be good on the road? Still, they do have a few bright spots for the year. Jaxon Dart looks like he is a legitimate NFL player, and he could potentially be the answer. They have been competitive in most games that Dart has been available for, and it is very possible if he takes a step forward next year, he will have his running back friend Cam Skatebo back, and wide receiver stand out Malik Nabers. Those are reasons for the Giants to be excited. The problem is that the team overall doesn't do much well, so they have a lot of draft needs. Do you work to surround Dart with more talent? Do you focus on the defense? There are not a ton of answers, but they might need to think quickly because after this game, and Week 18, they could be on the clock. 

(Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

The Raiders have been terrible, and this was not the expectation when Pete Carroll agreed to come back and work with the franchise. The first issue is that Geno Smith has regressed significantly this season. Perhaps it is that he doesn't have a ton of good receiving options. Maybe it is the offensive line. I'm not really sure, but he has almost a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio, and really hasn't shown much progress this year. The bad news for the Raiders is that there isn't much chatter about having a franchise quarterback in the upcoming draft. So, assuring a #1 overall pick really doesn't matter for them. The goal from here has to be getting some momentum for next year. Ashton Jeanty just had his second best game of the season, running for 128 yards and a touchdown, also hauling in a 60-yard touchdown pass. That was against the best defense in football in the Texans, so maybe there is some bright light there for him.

Perhaps the Raiders were being a bit crafty all along. Maybe they knew this would be a bad year so they were cautious with Jeanty. If they can let him loose like last week, there is at least potential to stay in any game. The Giants haven't been good on the road, and in fact, they've had some historical (or at least comical) losses as a visiting team. I don't think either team deserves to be favored in this game, but I think the Raiders probably win it. Maybe it is just rooting for the home team, but I think their defense is better. I think Jeanty probably gets more than 72.5 yards, but I like the Raiders to win at slightly plus money. 

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