Oakland Raiders Out Of AFC West Race, 2019 Playoff Chances Hinge On Virtual Must-Win Game In Week 14

The Oakland Raiders (6-6) could see their playoff hopes vanish in just a matter of weeks. The team faces a virtual must-win game in Week 14 since a loss would almost certainly end their postseason chances.

Oakland hosts the Tennessee Titans (7-7) Sunday afternoon in a key matchup for the AFC’s final wild-card spot. A loss for the Raiders would drop them two games behind the Titans, who are the conference’s No.7 seed. Tennessee has the same record as the No.6 seed Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5).

The Titans are among the hottest teams in the NFL with five wins in their last six games. The Raiders have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the No.8 seed Indianapolis Colts (6-6).

The first AFC wild-card berth is out of reach for the Raiders. The Buffalo Bills (9-3) are the No.5 seed and three games ahead of Oakland in the standings.

The wild-card is Oakland’s only realistic path to the playoffs following Week 13. The Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) blew out the Raiders 40-9 at Arrowhead Stadium, taking a two-game lead in the AFC West.

Kansas City defeated Oakland earlier this season, giving the Chiefs the tiebreaker over the Raiders. Essentially having a 2.5-game lead in the division with four games left in the 2019 NFL season, Kansas City is a -20000 favorite to win the AFC West at FanDuel Sportsbook. Oakland has +4800 odds to win the division.

It was only a few weeks ago that the Raiders could have been considered the favorite in the race for the AFC’s No.6 seed. Oakland was defeated by the New York Jets (4-8) in Week 12 in a game that might ultimately come back to haunt them.

The Raiders have been outscored by 62 points during their two-game losing streak. Only four teams in football have given up more points than Oakland this season.

Oakland is 0-5 against teams that enter Week 14 with a winning record. After playing the Titans, the Raiders’ final three opponents are all below .500.