After a feel-good comeback win in Week 2 over the Ravens, Antonio Pierce and the Raiders suffered a shocking loss across California sports betting in Week 3, losing to a Andy Dalton-led Carolina Panthers team at Allegiant Stadium.
Pierce took his team to task after the loss, saying: "There was definitely some individuals that made business decisions. And we'll make business decisions going forward, as well."
Could star receiver Davante Adams be among those drawing Pierce's ire? Adams was inactive for the Raiders' Week 4 win over Cleveland. Then on Sunday night, Pierce liked an Instagram post from Sports Illustrated saying Adams has "already played his last snap with the Raiders."
Adams, who is nursing a hamstring injury, told FanDuel TV's Kay Adams: "I haven't heard from him (Pierce) ... I don't really know exactly what that's all about."
Hours later, reports surfaced Adams has officially asked the front office for a trade, with the Jets and Saints at the top of his wish list.
BetCalifornia.com has hypothetical odds on which teams could trade for Adams this season, as all is not well with the receiver in Las Vegas.
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
New York Jets | +275 | 26.7% |
Dallas Cowboys | +600 | 14.3% |
New Orleans Saints | +600 | 14.3% |
Baltimore Ravens | +1000 | 9.1% |
Buffalo Bills | +1100 | 8.3% |
Pittsburgh Steelers | +1100 | 8.3% |
The Field / Stay With Raiders | +350 | 22.2% |
Odds provided by BetCalifornia and not available on California betting apps.
Few franchises are just as starved for postseason success as the Raiders, though the New York Jets (+275 to land Adams) can make a case. Coach Robert Saleh is in Year 4, and has yet to post a winning season in the Big Apple. There are no excuses this season, with Aaron Rodgers finally healthy. Adams could help take the Jets offense to a new level, helping to compliment Breece Hall and of course reuniting with Rodgers, who he played alongside for years in Green Bay.
Other contenders to add Adams? The Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints (both +600), two more teams in win-now mode with their respective head coaches and highly paid quarterbacks. The Saints' Derek Carr got off to a flying start through the team's first two games, but with the Saints slipping back to .500 ahead of a Monday night game against the Chiefs, their season is already at a tipping point. Carr and Adams also over-lapped in Vegas for one season, plus their time together at Fresno State.
Other Super Bowl hopefuls like the Baltimore Ravens (+1000) and Buffalo Bills (+1100) would also be smart to make a call on Adams' availability.
There's also the Pittsburgh Steelers (+1100), who have shocked the NFL world with a 3-1 start behind new quarterback Justin Fields. If the Steelers want to adjust their season expectations (Super Bowl, anyone?) a big swing for a player of Adams' caliber would surely fire up the locker room. And of course make Fields' life easier.
We'll keep you posted on developments with Adams throughout the season, as The Field/Stay with the Raiders (+350) is still in play as well. But another loss, and another outburst from Pierce, could make it more than likely Adams is traded for future assets sooner rather than later.
USA Today photo by Kirby Lee.
Author
Thomas Leary is a news editor and writer for BetCalifornia.com. He previously worked at Sports Business Journal for over 6 years, where he helped identify emerging sectors across sports business, such as legalized gambling, and helped launch the publication’s digital newsletter division.
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