The Las Vegas Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video! It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Chargers-Raiders prediction and pick.

Could this be the worst season in the history of the Chargers franchise? With all the expectations on the table and talent on the roster, the Chargers were considered to be a playoff team and a potential Super Bowl contender. They had a 27-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card last season, but since that monumental loss, the Bolts have not been close to being a contender. They sit at (5-8) on the season and with Justin Herbert officially out for the year with a fractured finger, it's no question their hopes of making the playoffs are doomed.

It doesn't get much better on the other side. The Raiders are playing well below their early-season expectations as well. Antonio Pierce has done a great job as the interim head coach but they haven't won since the SNF win against the New York Jets three weeks ago. Las Vegas is (5-8) on the year and of course, have a shot at the postseason but would need to win out in order to do so. The odds of that are slim, however, a win against LA this Thursday night gives them hope.

Here are the Chargers-Raiders NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Chargers-Raiders Odds

Los Angeles Chargers: +3 (-110)

Las Vegas Raiders: -3 (-110)

Over: 34 (-110)

Under: 34 (-110)

*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Chargers Could Cover The Spread

Easton Stick takes over under center for the Chargers moving forward. On Tuesday, the Bolts signed practice squad quarterback Max Duggan to the active roster to back up Stick for the rest of the season. That is a move that we saw coming after the Chargers drafted him in the 7th round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Stick will have the opportunity to to try and win the final four games for LA. Although, we may see Duggan out there every once in a while to show the defense something completely different than Stick. Both players can run, but Duggan proved to be a playmaker during his time at TCU leading them to a National Championship runner-up season. Can Duggan be the spark that finally gets Quentin Johnston going?

Johnston will need to step up again this Thursday if they want to cover this spread and have a chance to win. The Chargers offense was horrendous against Denver last week. They could not get into a rhythm whatsoever but there was one drive where they drove 90+ yards and scored. Johnston caught a deep ball that put them in position for Austin Ekeler to score his first TD in three weeks. If Johnston can continue to slowly get more involved then maybe the offense can get over the hump. Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen can't be asked to carry the load during this final stretch.

It will be weird to see Stick at QB as it seemed as if Justin Herbert would never miss another snap with his mindset. Believe it or not, the star QB has been injured a ton in his career but never missed a start. This will be the first time we see a different QB since start since Tyrod Taylor back in Week 1 of the 2020 season. Stick threw for 179 yards on 13-24 passing after replacing Herbert. If LA keeps it simple and can figure out a way to run the ball on the Raiders then they will be in a position to cover this spread.

Why The Raiders Could Cover The Spread

Aidan O'Connell will remain the quarterback for the Raiders. He faced the Chargers earlier this season and was sacked by former Raider Khalil Mack six times in the 24-17 loss. It's been a struggle for him all season as he has yet to really shine since taking over for Jimmy G. In fact, I'm not sure why Jimmy G hasn't been inserted back into the starting position. O'Connell has only thrown for four touchdowns this season while throwing seven interceptions. If he doesn't improve his play as the Raiders' signal caller then they won't see much success. The Chargers defense is iffy, but they have proven to shut out opponents if the offense isn't on their game. Considering Vegas was just shut out by Minnesota, a change in game plan is necessary.

Josh Jacobs needs a boatload of carries in this game. They should feed him the rock all game long. He's now up to 805 yards rushing on the season and has seen a lot of success against LA. He was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday so his status is up in the air with a knee injury. However, if he is available he should make an impact. He has 58 yards rushing and a TD and 81 yards receiving against the Bolts in their first meeting.

Final Chargers-Raiders Prediction & Pick

If you are looking to bet on this game, then you are going to be in for a stressful time. There is not a lot to love about this matchup but the Raiders are at home and should win. I like the under at 34 as the best call on the board. If you want to take a team, buying a half point and taking Raiders -2.5 is a safer bet.

Final Chargers-Raiders Prediction & Pick: Under 34 (-110)