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The Los Angeles Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders for an AFC West battle during the late window. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Raiders-Chargers prediction and pick.
The Raiders are (1-2) after falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday night. Vegas took down the Denver Broncos in Week 1 but have yet to build off that win. They head to a familiar territory where their fan base will be standing out. The Raiders have moved around a lot in their franchise's history. One thing remains true, Los Angeles is a pro-Raiders city. Despite homing the Rams and Chargers, the majority of fans in LA support the Raiders and that will impact Sunday's game.
The Bolts are also (2-1) on the young campaign and just earned their first win against the winless Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen connected for over 200 yards en route to the 28-24 win. The Chargers won a hard-fought game but in the process lost Mike Williams for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. That is a tremendous loss for this offense as they had the potential to be among the top of the league. LA looks to continue their dominant start on offense against their rivals.
Here are the Raiders-Chargers NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Raiders-Chargers Odds
Las Vegas Raiders: +5 (-115)
Los Angeles Chargers: -5 (-105)
Over: 49.5 (-105)
Under: 49.5 (-115)
How to Watch Raiders vs. Chargers Week 4
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Time: 4:05 pm ET/1:05 pm PT
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Raiders Could Cover The Spread
Jimmy Garoppolo returned to practice on Friday while being in Concussion Protocol. He is now listed as questionable for Sunday's game and could give it a go if cleared. It seems like Aidan O'Donnell could get the start if he can't go, despite Brian Hoyer being listed as the backup. O'Donnell played well during the preseason and earned a spot on the roster. Either way, if the Raiders want a chance at upsetting the Chargers, Jimmy G needs to suit up and play.
Josh Jacobs led the league in rushing yards just a season ago. 2023 has not been as kind to him as he has produced just 108 yards on a 2.4 yards-per-carry average. The 25-year-old out of Alabama has plenty of time to return to form, and the Chargers defense is a great start. The Bolts have allowed 113 yards rushing and 360 yards passing. Vegas knows if they want to turn their season around then it starts this Sunday.
The defense will have a tough task defending Justin Herbert. The former Rookie of the Year has yet to commit a turnover and is currently 4th in the NFL in passing yards with 939. The good news is that they might not have to face Austin Ekeler (doubtful) which means they can focus on trying to defend the passing game. A good start would be to double-team Keenan Allen as much as possible.
Why The Chargers Could Cover The Spread
The Chargers have a lengthy injury report that could factor into play on Sunday. Ekeler and Derwin James are both Doubtful while Joey Bosa and Alohi Gilman are questionable. Cory Linsley will be played on the IR after it surfaced that he is dealing with a non-emergent heart issue. Furthermore, Mike Williams will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL suffered against the Vikings last Sunday. Once again, the injury plague resurfaces for the Bolts and they will have an uphill climb if they want to get to where they want to go.
Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen will need to continue their hot start to the season if they want to cover this spread against the Raiders. Josh Kelly will also need to step up at the running back position as Ekeler could miss his third consecutive game. Make no mistake, Allen knows what this game means as a rivalry. He attended Berkeley and has been around Raiders fans his whole life. Expect him to continue where he left off as the Raiders secondary won't have any answers for him.
Without James controlling the defense, they will have a hard time stopping any offense. The good news is that Eric Kendricks returns after missing the last two games. They will need his veteran leadership alongside Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack if they want to shut down the Raiders' offense. If Jimmy G doesn't play, then this Bolts' defense may finally have a chance to be dominant.
Final Raiders-Chargers Prediction & Pick
The Chargers will more than likely continue their trend of playing in a one-score game. I do think the Raiders will be given an opportunity to win this game, however, it will be the Chargers who cover this spread on Sunday.
Final Raiders-Chargers Prediction & Pick: Chargers -5 (-105)
