The bye week has been a very good one for the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only did they get a chance to rest up, but a lot of things in the AFC went their way.
The Chargers fell to the Patriots at home and now have a record of just 4-3. The Broncos did win, but they are only 4-4 and the Raiders hold a tiebreaker over them.
According to FiveThirtyEight, their odds to win the division increased from 26 percent to 35 percent after the loss by the Chargers. They are still not the favorites to win the division (Chargers at 35%) but the gap has narrowed significantly over the last two weeks.
Their odds to make the playoffs also increased as other AFC contenders like the Bengals, Browns and Colts all suffered losses. The site gives them a 66 percent chance to make the playoffs, which is up from 62 percent entering the week. Only the Bills, Titans and Ravens have higher odds to make the postseason than the Raiders.
Things can still change with the Chiefs playing on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. But the Raiders are still in prime position to make the postseason for the first time since 2017.
