Oddsmakers post Raiders as slight underdog to make playoffs

The Raiders are still officially an underdog to make the playoffs, but not by much.

The Westgate sportsbook posted a proposition wager Tuesday with the Raiders at plus-140 to qualify for the postseason.

Before the season, the Westgate listed the Raiders at plus-550 to make the playoffs.

Oakland had a win total of six before the season and the Westgate took balanced action from bettors.

The Raiders can reach that number in just the 10th game with a victory over the winless Bengals on Sunday.

“They’ve definitely exceeded expectations, especially with their schedule being so demanding early on,” said Jeff Sherman, Westgate’s vice president of risk. “For them to even be in this position at this point is impressive.”

The Raiders are a double-digit favorite against the Bengals. The Westgate has already posted Oakland as a 3-point favorite on the road against the Jets on Nov. 24.

“With what’s ahead, it’s getting very interesting,” Sherman said. “Two games against lesser opponents on the horizon. With Kansas City not running away with the division, it’s opening up more possibilities for them.”

Coach Jon Gruden is excited to be in the thick of the race, but he wants to make sure his team stays focused on the immediate task despite Cincinnati’s record.

“I just watched the Falcons go to New Orleans and beat them bad,” he said Monday. “Miami goes on the road and beats Indianapolis. No one really suspected that that would happen. I try not to listen to the talk shows. I was part of that for nine years.

“We are going to get what we deserve. We’ve got a long way to go and a lot of things to overcome. I know Cincinnati. I know those players, I know those coaches. Two of them were on my staff last year. We are going to get their best shot. We better be ready to go or else.”

The Raiders (5-4) are just a half-game back of the Chiefs (6-4) for the AFC West lead. They are tied with Pittsburgh and Indianapolis for the second wild-card spot, although the Raiders own a tiebreaker over the Colts by virtue of a head-to-head win. Tennessee (5-5) and Jacksonville (4-5) are next in the pecking order. Both teams visit Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum next month.

Buffalo, which sits in the first wild-card position, has yet to beat a team with a winning record and has just one win over a team with more than two victories. The Bills have games against the Dolphins and Broncos on tap, but could be underdogs in four straight games starting on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas.

Football Outsiders has the Raiders as 48.4 percent likely to make the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight’s model is at 40 percent. PlayoffStatus.com has the Raiders at 58 percent to play in the postseason with a road game against the Chiefs as the most likely scenario.

Crosby continues to impress

Gruden once again sang the praises of rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby on Monday.

The fourth-round pick snapped a two-game streak of putting up zeroes in the sack column when he was credited with a half-sack on Thursday But his presence has been felt far beyond his 2.5 sacks this season.

Crosby was credited with 10 quarterback pressures against the Chargers, according to Next Gen Stats. That included one where his presence led to the interception return touchdown by Erik Harris.

“He has a relentless playing style that we like,” Gruden said. “Crosby is batting down passes. He’s getting pressures. I know it doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sack ledger, but he’s impacting the game. That’s the big thing we want from all of our defenders.”

Practice report

The Raiders had Tuesday off.

They will return to the field on Wednesday, which should mark the debut on defensive end Dion Jordan.

He is eligible to come off the suspended list with the new league week officially beginning.

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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.