The experts are about as divided on Raiders vs. Jets as two struggling teams deserve. Across the picks rounded up here, the Raiders hold a 12-10 edge over the New York Jets, which is hardly a ringing endorsement for either side. Believe it or not, the loudest vote of confidence in Las Vegas comes from the Jets' own backyard.
The Raiders Wire staff leans Las Vegas again, picking the Raiders 3-1 with an average score of 22-20.
NFL.com tips toward the Raiders
Three of the five NFL.com analysts picked the Raiders, with Gennaro Filice at 21-17, Bobby Kownack at 21-20 and Dan Parr at 24-23. Brooke Cersosimo went with the Jets 22-20, and Jeremy Bergman took New York 19-14 while sounding unimpressed by everybody involved.
"These are two 3-5 teams in the making, solid rosters without
winning instincts."
Pete Prisco sees a lopsided Sunday
Nobody in this roundup is lower on the Raiders than CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, who has the Jets winning 27-16. He believes defenses have figured out how to rattle the veteran quarterback.
"Kirk Cousins stays in as the starter for the Raiders, but teams have blitzed him the past two weeks."
His colleague Tyler Sullivan disagrees, taking the Raiders 24-21 and plus the points.
ESPN and Bleacher Report lean New York
ESPN's panel went 2-1 for the Jets, with Rich Maldonado at 24-20 and Eric Moody at 26-23, while Seth Walder has the Raiders winning 24-20. Maldonado expects New York to keep running the ball right at the Raiders' defense. ESPN's Football Power Index barely disagrees with its own experts, giving the Raiders a 52% chance to win.
Bleacher Report's panel split 4-3 for New York straight up, with Gary Davenport, Wes O'Donnell and Brent Sobleski on the Raiders' side. Maurice Moton, who picked the Jets, summed up the stakes in one line.
"Both of these teams are desperate for a win."
The Jets' own backyard likes the Raiders
As it turns out, the Raiders' biggest fan club this week sits in New Jersey. 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, and Bert Bainbridge of NorthJersey.com went 30-20.
Brian Marron also picked the Raiders, 27-17. Dave Rivera had the Raiders 23-20, and his reasoning stung for Jets fans.
"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, taking the Jets 27-24. All told, 10 of the 15 score predictions here land within four points, so a nail-biter feels like the safest call on the board.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders vs. Jets expert picks and predictions for Sunday's Week 8 game
