Who would have ever thought that a matchup between two 2-13 teams would be one of the most intriguing games of Week 17? But that’s where we stand this week as the New York Giants travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders.
The loser of Sunday’s game will be in prime position to have the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This is why some fans would prefer their team to lose to lock up the number one pick.
But neither team has been practicing these weeks to lose, as both teams are eager to win their first game since October. We should see some interesting developments in Sunday’s contest, and here are five bold predictions for the game.
Jaxson Dart will complete 75% of his passes
Last week in their 16-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Dart had the worst game of his brief career. He completed just seven out of 13 passes for 33 yards with an interception, and had a quarterback rating of 27.4.
It was expected that Dart would go through rookie growing pains, but now it’s time to see how he’ll respond. This is the perfect week for him and the offense to get back on track, as the Raiders have allowed 30 points or more seven times this season.
Expect New York to start the game with Dart attempting short and intermediate passes to get in a rhythm. This tactic will work as he will complete 75 percent of his passes.
Ashton Jeanty will have 75-yard touchdown run
The Raiders’ offensive line woes have limited the number of explosive plays from their rookie running bac,k Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty has 828 rushing yards on the year, but he’s averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.
Occasionally, he has been able to show his big-play capability as he did a week ago against the Houston Texans, where he had a 51-yard touchdown run and a 60-yard touchdown reception. Now he’ll go up against New York’s 31st-ranked run defense that’s allowing 150 yards a game.
On Sunday, the rookie running back will have another explosive play as he will score on a 75-yard run.
Brian Burns and Abdul Carter will have 5 combined sacks
The few bright spots for Big Blue in 2025 are that Brian Burns is second in the NFL in sacks with 15, and Abdul Carter is finally living up to being the third pick in the draft, as he has a sack in each of the last three games.
Now the edge rushing duo will go up against an offensive line that has given up 57 sacks on the year. On Sunday, Burns and Carter will have their way with the Raiders’ offensive tackles as the duo will have a combined five sacks.
Michael Mayer will have 2 touchdowns
Las Vegas will be without its superstar tight end Brock Bowers, who was put on IR this week due to a knee injury. This means Michael Mayer is scheduled to start in Bower’s place.
For the year, Mayer has 23 receptions for 192 yards and one touchdown. He’ll face a Giants secondary that has historically struggled covering opposing tight ends. On Sunday, the 24-year-old tight end will have his best game of the season and score two touchdowns.
The game will end in a tie
It would be ironic in a game where some feel the loser of the game will actually be the winner, since they’ll be in position to have the number one pick if the game ended in a tie. That is exactly what will happen on Sunday as the game will be tied at the end of regulation, and neither team will score in overtime.
That means we will have to wait and see the season finale for both teams to find out who will have the rights to the first pick in the draft.
