As counterintuitive as it may sound, many Raiders fans are hoping their favorite team loses to the Jaguars on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

And they should be.

Huh?

Believe it or not, it makes sense.

Those fans’ eyes will also be on various stadiums around the NFL, hoping that every team the 2-12 Raiders have played so far this year loses. They will also cheer on the 3-11 Browns, Patriots, Titans and Panthers.

A lot of attention will also be paid to the Falcons’ game against the Giants in Atlanta. For the Raiders, it is the most important game on the Week 16 schedule besides their own.

That’s because the team’s main goal this season is no longer to make the playoffs.

That hasn’t been the case for some time. It should be about securing the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft and earning a chance to sign a potential franchise quarterback who can take the organization to new levels.

The game on Sunday will be crucial.

As things stand, the Raiders are projected to finish second overall behind the Giants (2-12). But the Jaguars are one of five 3-11 teams lurking just behind those two. A win for the Raiders could cause them to fall short in the draft order.

So a loss on Sunday would help the cause. It goes against everything every fan has been taught. But it could beat the alternative.

Two quarterback prospects, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami (Florida), are considered standouts in this year’s class.

That means the Raiders need a top-two pick to ensure they pay off one of their worst seasons in recent memory.

It’s a race to the bottom. One that might be worth it.

It’s a complicated fight for the handicap.

Everything from win-loss record to strength of schedule could play a role in determining who ends up getting the first pick.

For example, the Giants have the tiebreaker over the Raiders for now because New York has a weaker schedule.

However, this is not set in stone. The Raiders should hope that every opponent they face this year loses on Sunday. And they want every team the Giants have played to win.

It is a complex and confusing system.

But here’s a cheat sheet for what to focus on as we move forward:

Raiders must lose

The Raiders’ path to the top overall pick starts simply: They should lose their final three games.

After playing the Jaguars on Sunday, they travel to face the Saints (5-9) in Week 17 and host the Chargers (9-6) in Week 18. Losing all three contests does not guarantee the Raiders first place.

They would still need the Giants to win at least one more game or their schedule would be worse than New York’s. That will only be decided at the end of the season.

X account Doug Analytics gives the Raiders the third-best odds of finishing No. 1 at 19.5 percent, behind the Giants (47.5 percent) and the Patriots (22.2 percent).

These odds reflect a schedule that otherwise isn’t all that daunting.

The Jaguars have lost six of their last seven games.

New Orleans has lost two of three games and may be without quarterback Derek Carr, who suffered a left hand injury, for the second straight game against the Packers on Monday.

Los Angeles could clinch a playoff spot this week if the Dolphins and Colts lose. The Chiefs have already won the AFC West, so there’s a good chance the Chargers have little to nothing to gain against the Raiders.

The Giants, on the other hand, play against the Falcons (7-7), Colts (6-8) and Eagles (12-2). Atlanta and Indianapolis are still fighting for a playoff spot, while Philadelphia is in contention for the No. 1 seed and a bye in the NFC.

Any win for the Raiders could see them slide way down the draft order as there is a logjam at the bottom of the table. It is possible that they will only reach 10th place by the end of the year.

What you should put down roots for

The Raiders could get a big boost on Sunday from the Falcons, who will give rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. his first NFL start against the Giants.

A win in New York would catapult the Raiders to the bottom of the table. It would also weaken their strength in the schedule as they lost to Atlanta on Monday night.

The Raiders will continue to hope for as many Giants wins as possible in the final three weeks of the season. They will also be cheering on the Patriots, Panthers, Titans and Browns.

A lead over some of these teams in the standings — namely other quarterback-hungry franchises like New York, Carolina, Tennessee and Cleveland — could prevent the Raiders from acquiring one of the top two quarterbacks.

Sanders, the son of Hall of Fame player and Colorado coach Deion Sanders, is a confident, accurate passer who has completed 74.2 percent of his throws for 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions this year.

Ward, a Heisman Trophy finalist, is a playmaker who completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

Bothers are considered an asset to a small group of quarterbacks. And the class thinned out when Penn State passer Drew Allar decided to return for his senior season rather than enter the draft.

It is possible that no other quarterback will be taken in the first round in April other than Sanders and Ward. And the Raiders learned how difficult it is to get to the top of the league in their failed attempts to trade LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels last year.

They could make things easier this season by picking at the top of the draft from the start. For the Raiders, that starts with Sunday’s loss.

No pain, no gain, remember?

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.