Week 9 of the NFL season is already here and fans are gearing up for another weekly slate of wild finishes and unlikely upsets. As the latest Sunday rolls around the corner, we'll make some bold predictions for the Week 9 clash as the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) take on the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) on November 2, 2025 at 4:05 p.m. ET.
The Jacksonville Jaguars come into Week 9 following a Week 8 bye. They were most recently dominated by the Los Angeles Rams 35-7, losing their last two games following a three-game winning streak. With rookie sensation Travis Hunter (knee) heading to IR, the Jaguars will look to preserve their winning record in a matchup they should handle this week.
The Las Vegas Raiders also come into this game following a bye week, a much-needed reset following their 31-0 blanking at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Things could be looking up for the Raiders as star tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is expected to return from injury, so don't be surprised at all if the Raiders are able top put up a fight at home.
Sportsbooks are billing the Jacksonville Jaguars as 2.5-point betting favorites on the road. The implied total for the game has been set at 43.5 points.
Jaguars vs. Raiders bold predictions – Week 9
Jacksonville Jaguars struggle without WR/CB Travis Hunter
In an unexpected move, the Jaguars placed rookie WR/CB on Injured Reserve with a lingering knee injury. Clearly, the organization is playing things safe with their prized draft pick, hoping that Hunter can return following the four-week minimum and come back stronger.
While Hunter hasn't been the explosive, big-play talent we've seen him consistently be in college, he's shown flashes of athletic greatness when the offense has been able to get him the ball. The threat of Travis Hunter in the passing game may be more effective than his actual production, so the passing game will suffer nonetheless without him on the field.
Furthermore, Hunter has gotten a ton of work at cornerback in defending opponents' best receivers, so the defense will take an obvious hit to their secondary. His impact has been felt in opening up Brian Thomas Jr., but now Hunter and their leading receiver TE Brenton Strange both find themselves on IR. Don't be surprised if the Jaguars offense struggles in moving the ball and defending the pass.
Raiders lean on RB Ashton Jeanty, again.
With TE Brock Bowers in an out of the lineup throughout most of this season, Ashton Jeanty has been the sole bright spot on the Las Vegas Raiders team. The passing game behind veteran QB Geno Smith is not at all what fans had expected, seriously struggling to move the ball down field with their limited pass catching options.
As a result, rookie RB Ashton Jeanty has been a workhorse for them all season, logging 111 carries for 445 yards and three scores. Jeanty is extremely effective after first contact, as many expected him to be, and is averaging a solid 4.0 yards per carry.
He's coming in off a tough game against the Chiefs where the Raiders trailed from start to finish, but expect head coach Pete Carroll to try and control the clock during this one and keep the Jaguars offense off the field. This includes constantly feeding the ball to Jeanty and relying on him to pick up key first downs to keep their drives moving.
Raiders' TE Brock Bowers returns in a big way
Coming in off a historic rookie season as arguably the best play on this roster, Brock Bowers has been dealing with the injury bug in season two. With the nature of his knee injury and his prior history, it comes as no surprise that the Raiders are looking to play things safe and preserve his future. However, after a solid week of practice and reassuring words from Pete Carroll, it seems as all systems are go for Bowers in Week 9.
The Jaguars have been average at best against opposing tight ends this year, allowing an average of 14.11 fantasy points to the position weekly. This ranks among the bottom-half of the NFL and with all the additional rest Bowers has had over the last few weeks, we can expect him to be extremely hungry during this game.
With Bowers and Jeanty as the only real options on this offense, don't be surprised if we see Geno Smith constantly feeding them in the running game and intermediate passing game.
