The battle under center for the Las Vegas Raiders is heating up, and it might not be the rookie you'd expect taking the first snap of Week 1. Despite being the No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza is currently the underdog to start the season opener, with veteran Kirk Cousins emerging as the clear favorite.

FanDuel's latest odds have Cousins as a -200 favorite to be the Week 1 starter, while Mendoza sits at +168. Any other quarterback—presumably Aidan O'Connell—is a distant +2000. That's a significant shift from recent history, where the last six quarterbacks taken first overall all started their team's season opener. The exception? Baker Mayfield in 2018, who had to wait until Week 3.

Cousins, signed to a one-year, $20 million deal this offseason, was brought in as a bridge to Mendoza. New head coach Klint Kubiak has been open about wanting a veteran presence in the quarterback room, and Cousins brings exactly that. The Raiders are clearly playing the long game, letting Mendoza learn behind a seasoned pro rather than throwing him into the fire immediately.

General Manager John Spytek has said "the best man will play," but the odds suggest the front office is leaning toward experience. The last time the Raiders took a quarterback first overall was JaMarcus Russell in 2007, and that didn't end well. They're hoping this time is different, but they're taking a cautious approach.

This year's quarterback class isn't considered elite, and if Mendoza doesn't start Week 1, it's possible no rookie quarterback in the league will. Ty Simpson, the only other first-round quarterback (taken by the Rams), will be sitting behind Matthew Stafford. So while fans may be eager to see their new star, the smart money is on Cousins under center when the Raiders kick off the season.