We thought last week’s Thursday Night Football game was as bad as it gets, but then it turned out to be a very exciting game. This week, with the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders starting two backup quarterbacks, we’re hoping for that to be the case again.
When making your Chargers vs. Raiders picks, should you trust Las Vegas as home favorites after getting shutout last week? With such a low total in a game featuring two inexperienced quarterbacks, should you take the under? Let’s dive into the Chargers vs. Raiders predictions and expert picks.
Chargers vs. Raiders Betting Lines
Prior to Justin Herbert’s injury, the Chargers vs. Raiders lookahead lines had Los Angeles as a 3.5-point road favorite.
With Herbert out for this game and the rest of the season, the line has flipped, as the Raiders are now giving points at home. The drastic shift in odds demonstrates not only the value of the quarterback position but also how important Herbert is to this Chargers team.
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- Spread
Raiders -3 - Moneyline
Chargers +135, Raiders -155 - Total
34.5
Chargers vs. Raiders Predictions and Expert Picks
Rolfe:Â The executives at Amazon must be cursing the NFL again this week as they get two struggling teams in their showcase game of the week. Last week, the Patriots and Steelers surprised us all by mustering 39 points between them, but this week, we could easily see two stagnant offenses struggling.
The Chargers came into this game having scored 23 points across their last three games. To add to that is the loss of Herbert for the season, leaving Easton Stick at QB. Stick was not a complete disaster last week, but the Las Vegas Raiders have had a few days to prep for Stick and should be prepared.
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Additionally, the Raiders’ offense has not fared much better in the last few weeks. They have not topped 20 points since Week 9 and have only done so since Week 6 and twice all season. The Raiders’ offense is unlikely to suddenly explode for 25+ points this week, with rookie QB Aidan O’Connell steering the ship.
Las Vegas’ defense has also been pretty stingy this season. They struggled with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, but outside of that, they have not allowed more than 20 points since facing the Lions in Week 8.
I do expect there to be some offense in this one, but it would not be a surprise if only one team makes it past 10 points.
Pick: Under 34.5 (-115 at ESPN BET)
Blewis:Â Last week, the Raiders’ offense struggled (to put it lightly) against the Minnesota Vikings, as they were shut out in a 3-0 loss at home. But they were facing a Vikings defense that is the top-ranked defense by EPA/play since their 1-4 start. Tonight, they’ll be getting a much easier matchup against a very weak Chargers defense.
But the biggest mismatch comes on the other side of the ball, as the Raiders will be facing backup quarterback Easton Stick, who will be making his first career road start on a short week. Stick will be going against a Raiders defense that is fourth in EPA/play since Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach.
This Chargers team also just lost their franchise quarterback for the season and have a head coach who is almost guaranteed to get fired. While the Chargers might be quitting on their coach and season, the Raiders have been playing very hard for Pierce, who is using the remaining weeks as an audition to become the full-time head coach.
It feels pretty gross to lay three points with a team that just got shut out at home until you remember how bad this Chargers team could be without Justin Herbert.
Pick: Raiders -3 (-112 at DraftKings)
Bearman: Stick will be starting at QB for the Chargers and is facing a team that scored zero points last week and has topped 21 just once all season. Oh yeah, and the Chargers themselves only scored seven last week and have 23 total points in the last three games with Herbert. Not sure I even need to say more.
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For those that have gotten used to some scoring on TNF the last few weeks, as Eminem would say, “Back to Reality.”
Picks: Under 34.5 (-115 at ESPN BET), Raiders team total under 19.5 (-130 at DraftKings)
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