With a New York Giants Week 9 game scheduled against the Las Vegas Raiders, both teams will be trying to get their seasons back on track after tough losses in Week 8. Ahead of the Giants-Raiders, game, we'll be making our Giants Week 9 predictions.

The 2023 season has not gone to plan for the New York Giants, as they fell to 2-6 on the season after a loss in overtime to the New York Jets in Week 8. It was another narrow loss for the Giants, who could easily be 4-4 if games against the Buffalo Bills and Jets were managed better. The defense has played great, but the offense has been the league's worst. It seems as if Daniel Jones will return this week, which should give them a better chance to score, even though he has not played well this year.

The Raiders are a team. in transition. Owner Mark Davis decided to fire general manager Dave Ziegler after the loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. Antonio Pierce, a former Giants linebacker who was on the Super Bowl 42 championship team, was named the interim head coach for the Raiders. On a short week with a big shakeup in the coaching department, the Giants should theoretically be at an advantage.

It might be too little, too late when it comes to the playoffs for the Giants, and general manager Joe Schoen decided to sell at the deadline, getting a second and fifth-round pick for defensive tackle Leonard Williams. However, a win would keep some slim hopes alive for a run with some winnable games in the second half of the year. Nevertheless, let's move on to our Giants Week 9 predictions.

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Kayvon Thibodeaux reaches double-digit sacks

Kayvon Thibodeaux

With so much going wrong for the Giants in 2023, Kayvon Thibodeaux's performance is at the top of the list along with Dexter Lawrence continuing to be a dominant force on the inside. Thibodeaux's first couple of games this year were quiet, but he has quickly racked up 8.5 sacks on the season, doubling up on his four sacks during his rookie year, according to Pro Football Reference.

Thibodeaux received some heat from New York sports radio ahead of last week's game against the Jets. He answered the bell with three sacks, a forced fumble, and strong run defense. It was arguably his best game since entering the NFL.

Going into this game against the Raiders, Thibodeaux needs 1.5 sacks to reach 10 on the season. With Lawrence taking most of the attention, and rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell starting, expect Thibodeaux to reach double-digit sacks for the first time in his career this Sunday.

Giants force multiple turnovers again

The Giants have won the turnover battle in three of their last four games, and ironically, the game in which they lost the turnover battle was the one that they won against the Commanders. The Giants' defense forced two turnovers last week against the Jets. Both were fumbles.

O'Connell is an inexperienced quarterback who struggled to avoid back-breaking turnovers in the Raiders' loss against the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year. With the Giants' pass rush playing so well, and linebackers Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden providing strong play as well, look for the unit to force some more turnovers against the Raiders.

Whether it is interceptions, fumbles, or a mix of both, look for the Giants to force multiple turnovers again, and expect the pass rush from Thibodeaux and Lawrence to play a large role.

Daniel Jones plays clean football in a win

Daniel Jones was cleared for contact after suffering a neck injury against the Miami Dolphins. His play has not been up to expectations so far this season. Some of that is due to his own flaws, and some of that is due to the play of the offensive line.

The Giants' offensive line is still not good, but it is better now than what Jones played behind in the games against the Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Maxx Crosby of the Raiders is a threat to wreck a game, and against the Giants offensive line, that is not out of play here.

However, the Giants could be in good shape just paying mistake-free football on offense, knowing that their defense could do enough to win the game if the unit performs as it did in recent weeks. It almost worked against the Jets, when the offense score 10 points. Look for the Giants to win a low-scoring game on Sunday.