Jaguars-Raiders: Week 16 Prediction

Who do we think wins when the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday?

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders safety Duron Harmon (30) as cornerback Sam Webb (27) looks on during the second quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 110622 Raiders Jags Cp 146 / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars will take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, a meeting of the two of the NFL's worst teams.

The last time the Jaguars played the Raiders on the road was in 2019, which wa the Raiders’ final game in Oakland. After a 20-16 Jacksonville victory, the Jaguars will now travel to Vegas for the first time. Jacksonville holds a two-game advantage (6-4) in the all-time series against Las Vegas and has taken the last two matchups, including a win in Jacksonville in 2022.

There is plenty at stake for each team's long-term future entering Sunday. No playoff berths are possible, but each team could have their 2025 NFL Draft positioning solidifed in the top-3 with a loss.

But who do we think wins when it comes to Sunday's clash? Can the Jaguars defeat a clearly inferior team? Or will they reach rock bottom with their worst and most inexcusable loss of the season? We break it down with our Week 16 prediction below.

Prediction: Jaguars 20, Raiders 17

This feels like as much of a trap game as it could possibly be for a 3-11 team, but that is where the Jaguars have brought us in 2024. The Jaguars are significantly better on paper than the Raiders, even without names like Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Gabe Davis on injured reserve.

In reality, there is no way the Raiders should be able to push the Jaguars to the brink ... even with the fact the Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the NFL. But the Jaguars have played down to their competition throughout the 2024 season, and there is little reason to think there should be an exception this weekend.

The Jaguars do have an offensive weapon in Brian Thomas Jr. who the Raiders do not have an answer for, however. And Thomas has proven that he can produce even without Lawrence at the helm, going from a vertical route master to a wide receiver who can win at all levels of the field.

Brock Bowers poses a similar challenge for the Jaguars' defense, but the Raiders' offense operates at an even lower level than the Jaguars'. The Jaguars' defense has individual pieces that the Raiders don't, too.

In short, give me the Jaguars in a close, sloppy game that sees Thomas become the difference.

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