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Oakland Raiders: Win-Loss predictions for each game in 2018 season

By Maurice Moton

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Rams

It’s a tough regular-season opener for the Raiders, going up against the No. 1 offense from last season that added top-flight wideout Brandin Cooks via trade with the New England Patriots. Running back Todd Gurley steps on the field as the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.

Defensively, Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh will make it extremely difficult to run the ball downhill. Cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib are familiar with quarterback Derek Carr from their previous AFC West battles. The Raiders signal-caller must find success targeting the middle of the field with tight end Jared Cook to keep the offense rolling.

On the downside, here’s a telling quote from Guenther Thursday during a media conference. “Eventually, after the third week of the season on Sunday night, when you put your head on the pillow you have an idea of what kind of team you got.”

We can’t expect Oakland’s defense to pull it all together against one of the top offenses in the league right away. Oakland loses the first game at home.

Prediction: Loss | Score: 31-17 | Record: 0-1

Week 2: at Denver Broncos

On a short week, the Silver and Black travel to Denver to play a proven defense that’s ranked top five in yards allowed over the last four seasons. The Broncos traded Talib to the Rams, but cornerback Bradley Roby has performed well in primarily a reserve role, logging three interceptions and 25 pass breakups over the last two seasons.

The Broncos will test the Raiders offensive tackles with Von Miller and rookie first-rounder Bradley Chubb on the edge. At this point, it would be the second game for rookie Kolton Miller at left tackle and Donald Penn‘s move to the right side, which will likely cause some issues fending off the pass rush.

Expect the Raiders to run the ball to offset the pocket pressure, but the Broncos ranked fifth last year against the ground attack. Now, with an upgrade at quarterback in Case Keenum and no Mack around to chase him, Denver’s offense could gain some momentum. The Raiders drop to 0-2.

Prediction: Loss | Score: 23-21 | Record: 0-2

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