Jordan Love Given +2300 Odds to Start at QB for Raiders Week 1 – Is There Any Value?

• Rumor has it that the Las Vegas Raiders will draft Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft
• The Raiders have two first-round picks at No. 12 and No. 19
• Is Love a good bet to be the Raiders’ Week 1 starter or should you wait to see how the draft plays out?

It seems like the marriage between the Las Vegas Raiders and Derek Carr is not made to last. They were rumored to be interested in Tom Brady; they’ve added Marcus Mariota; and the latest news is that the team is enamored with Utah State product Jordan Love.

Sportsbooks are offering a prop on the Raiders Week 1 starter, and Love is third on the list at +2300.

Let’s take a closer look at who is likely to be the Raiders Week 1 starter in 2020.

Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Week 1 Starting Quarterback Odds

Odds taken April 6th.

Love at +2300?

It’s interesting to see how the odds have moved around as guys like Nathan Peterman and DeShone Kizer were options just a couple of days ago. Now all of the sudden they’re out of the mix, Carr is a bigger favorite, and Jordan Love is on the board.

A lot of this stems from a rumor that the Raiders could take Love with the second of their two first-round picks (No. 19 overall). Love has also not hidden his affection for the Raiders as he’s previously said he wants to play there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiFf_y8ps70

But betting him at +2300 to be the Week 1 starter at this point seems like a complete reach. First of all, he’s not even on the team. Second of all, there are two qualified veterans ahead of him. Third of all, if there’s one thing we know about Love (vis-à-vis the other first-round quarterbacks), it’s that he’s raw and will take time to develop.

Mariota Will Have A Shot At The Job

Mariota was clearly brought in to light a fire under Carr. While Carr hasn’t been bad, Mariota is athletic and has the stronger arm. He definitely has his flaws but he’s not as scared to throw the ball downfield – something Carr doesn’t do as frequently as the Raiders want him to.

At the same time, Mariota is also stepping into a new situation and, as of right now, he does not give the Raiders their best chance to win. Carr knows the offense, he understands what Gruden wants, and he has chemistry with the team. Mariota has a lot of catching up to do.

Pandemic Situation Means Carr Is The Best Bet

Jordan Love is not a wise bet right now because we don’t even know if he’ll be on the team. SBD’s mock draft, which is based on the betting odds, show he’s going to the Colts at No. 22.

Even if the Raiders draft him, though, the COVID-19 pandemic really puts him and Mariota behind the eight ball. Remember, Love and Mariota would be new to this offense and OTA’s and mini camps would be crucial to them getting up to speed. With the coronavirus wreaking havoc, teams are not even practicing.

DRAFT NEWS: There’s a “good possibility” that the Raiders select Utah State QB Jordan Love with the No. 19 overall pick if he’s still available, per Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline.
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I’ve expressed before that… https://t.co/cd2SinMzK0

— The Football Fix (@TheFBFix) April 10, 2020

At this point, it would nice if the NFL teams could start their training camps on time but we don’t even know if that will be the case. Knowing all of that, it’s hard to bet anyone else here other than Carr. He knows the system, generally plays well, and will be more prepared than the others.

The other factor here is that Carr is not a bum. He’s not Case Keenum or Eli Manning. He finished eighth in passing yards last season and 10th in passer rating. Is Gruden frustrated with him? Clearly. Could the Raiders do much worse at the position? Of course. He’s the best bet.