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

Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens

Typically, the Ravens lean heavily on their tight ends in the passing attack. They drafted two in April—Hayden Hurst in the first round and Mark Andrews in the third round. Expect both to play a huge factor against Oakland. Baltimore also upgraded its wide receiver unit, signing Willie Snead, John Brown and Michael Crabtree; Raiders fans might’ve heard of the third guy.

Forget the revenge factor for Crabtree, though, he’s likely to score at least once. It’s the Ravens’ ability to exploit the middle of the field that should worry Guenther. Will Derrick Johnson have enough in the tank to shadow the rookie tight ends? Is Karl Joseph (5-10) completely ineffective against big-body pass-catchers in the seam?

Baltimore has fielded a top-10 scoring defense in three of the last four seasons. Points won’t come easily for the Raiders on the road.

Prediction: Loss | Score: 26-20 | Record: 6-5

Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Oakland would’ve benefitted from an early-season game against first-year starting signal-caller Patrick Mahomes. Instead, the Raiders won’t see him until December, and there’s an advantage for the Kansas City Chiefs coming off a Week 12 bye.

Expect head coach Andy Reid‘s squad to perform at optimal levels following an off week. He’ll also have ample time to prepare Mahomes for his first matchup against a division foe. Tight end Travis Kelce and speedy deep threat Tyreek Hill could see a high volume of targets in the aerial attack.

The ability to move Hill around the formation helps Mahomes find favorable matchups against a linebacker or safety in coverage. The Raiders would have to slow the game down with Beast Mode to have a good chance at a win, but Reid’s preparation after a bye week makes the difference in this matchup.

Prediction: Loss | Score: 27-24 | Record: 6-6