49ers vs. Raiders NFL Week 17 odds: Spread spikes to nine points as Jarrett Stidham starting at QB over Derek Carr for Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders still have very slim AFC wild-card hopes – it really would take a miracle – and opened as 6-point home underdogs at Caesars Sportsbook this Sunday against the red-hot San Francisco 49ers. All of a sudden, though, the Raiders are now +9, which may hint that head coach Josh McDaniels is benching starting quarterback and three-time Pro Bowler Derek Carr for Jarrett Stidham against the Niners, who still have something to play for. Update: Carr has been benched for the final two games. 

Carr was terrible in a 13-10 loss at Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, which all but ended the Raiders' postseason hopes. It was brutally cold and he's a warm-weather QB, but Carr was just 16 for 30 for 174 yards, one touchdown and three picks. He's thrown nine interceptions in his past five games, including at least two in three of the five. His completion percentage topped 60% in just one of those five outings.

Carr leads the league with 14 picks and is a -110 favorite at DraftKings to "win" that title. Indianapolis' Matt Ryan (no odds because he's benched), Buffalo's Josh Allen (+400) and Houston's Davis Mills (+225) are tied for second with 13.

There has been widespread speculation that the Raiders will move on from Carr this offseason – coming off a career-best 2021 campaign -- despite giving him a three-year, $121.5 million extension in April that includes a no-trade clause. There is no guaranteed money left on Carr's contract after this season and the team's dead-money charge for 2023 would be a cheap $5.625 million if it were to cut him. If he's still on the roster three days after Super Bowl 57, his $32.9 million salary for next season would become fully guaranteed.

The 26-year-old Stidham spent the 2019-20 seasons with the Patriots, so McDaniels knows him well, but Stidham has never made an NFL start in 11 game appearances and has attempted a total of 61 regular-season passes. He saw action on Oct. 30 in New Orleans, going 8-for-13 for 72 yards in relief of an ineffective Carr. Stidham would be facing the NFL's No. 1 defense in the 49ers. His backup now will be Chase Garbers, leaving Carr to be inactive Sunday.

Las Vegas will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or a Miami win in New England (the Dolphins will be without starting QB Tua Tagovailoa), or a New York Jets win in Seattle. NFC West champion San Francisco still has the carrot of playing for the NFC's No. 2 seed.

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