With the Las Vegas Raiders Week 9 matchup being up against the New York Giants, the team receives a bit of an easier opponent to potentially stay atop of the AFC rankings. This franchise has been a pleasant surprise outside of the off-the-field issues circulating the team. However, we'll be evaluating this Raiders-Giants game with our Raiders Week 9 predictions in mind.

Las Vegas will look to put their off-the-field woes behind them as they'll attempt to defeat the Giants on Sunday. This team remained focused after the Jon Gruden debacle and will lean on each other again after the heartbreaking news involving Henry Ruggs.

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Heading into this game, the Raiders will look to shut down the Giants altogether. With New York missing key players on the roster, this one could get ugly quickly. The loss of Henry Ruggs won't go unnoticed, but Hunter Renfrow could become a more consistent pass option. Additionally, Darren Waller could have a big bounce-back game, meaning Derek Carr might be in for a field day.

With that said, here are four bold Raiders Week 9 predictions for their game against the Giants.

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Raiders Week 9 Predictions

4. Raiders' defense shuts down the Giants' offense completely

The defense is still an area the Raiders struggle in, however, they could come together for a dominant game against the Giants. New York will be without Saquon Barkley again and the receiving core is lacking due to injuries. The weight will be on Daniel Jones' shoulders to lead the Giants to a victory.

It's hard to imagine he can do so though. New York is without their prime weapons and the Raiders are hungry to prove themselves as legitimate contenders in the AFC.

3. Hunter Renfrow records 100+ yards and 2 touchdowns

With Henry Ruggs out of the picture, the wide receiver group must step up for the team. Hunter Renfrow has already been one of the top targets on this offense. However, it seems as though he could become the true top pass option for the unforeseeable future. Look for Renfrow to play a major role for the Raiders on Sunday, as well as the rest of the season.

2. Darren Waller bounces back and proves he's the top tight end in the league

It's been a rough few weeks for Darren Waller but things are looking up for the superstar tight end. The bye week was extremely beneficial as he seems to be 100 percent healthy heading into this game. Waller is a beast and the Giants don't have anyone to contain him. For that reason, the Raiders should make him a big part of their game plan in this matchup.

1. Derek Carr lights up New York for 300+ yards and 5+ touchdowns

Derek Carr has been on fire this year, giving the Raiders a boost in production on the offensive end. Additionally, he's shown how important he is to this franchise, as the team has leaned on Carr through the adversity so far this season.

Look for Derek Carr to keep his team focused and lead the Raiders to another win over the Giants. Doing so will keep Las Vegas within the top two seeds of the AFC playoff race.