The Chargers take on the Raiders in a Thursday night showdown to kick off Week 15 of the NFL season. It’s a rematch from the Week nine thriller that the Raiders won 31-26 in dramatic fashion.
Raiders
The Raiders are looking to remain in the heated AFC wildcard race as the season winds down. They’re entering Week 15 at 7-6 which has them a game behind the final wildcard spot. Two teams, the Dolphins and Ravens, are ahead of the Raiders for that final spot as of now.
The team will be shorthanded in this one, Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram, Damon Arnette, and Nicholas Morrow are all out on the defensive side of the ball. That’s a lot of pieces that are expected to contribute, putting pressure on the team’s offense to make up for the holes on defense.
Jon Gruden’s team has been going through a rough stretch lately, dropping three of their last four. The only win was a 31-28 Week 13 victory over the winless New York Jets. With the playoffs slipping out of reach, this game has become a must-win.
Derek Carr will rely on his top threat in the passing game Darren Waller to help him and the team get things back on track. Over the last two games, Waller has racked up 27 targets, which has resulted in 20 catches. On the year the tight end has 84 catches for 817 yards and seven touchdowns.
Running back Josh Jacobs will also need to get going for the team to win. Over the last two games, he has as many rushing attempts as Waller has catches, 20. The Raiders need to keep him involved on the ground to avoid a shootout with the Chargers and their young gunslinger Justin Herbert.
Chargers
Coming off a 20-17 win, the Chargers are looking to play spoiler to their division rival’s playoff chances. They sit at 4-9 on the season, but it’s been better than the record indicates as they have what appears to be their long term signal-caller in Herbert.
The rookie has thrown for 3,467 yards this year while tossing 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He’s expected to have his versatile running back Austin Ekeler in this game but receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are game-time decisions.
Allen is the teams leading receiver on the year with 99 catches for 975 yards. He also has a team-high eight touchdowns through the air. If both wide receivers can’t go, Herbert will be relying on his tight end, Hunter Henry, and a group of relatively unknown pass catchers. That group includes rookie Jalen Guyton, though, who has been a promising deep threat in the Chargers pass game.
Game Info
Date: December 17, 2020
Start Time: 7:20 CST
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Stadium: Allegiant Stadium
TV Info: Fox, NFL Network
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Point Spread: LAC +3 (-110) | LV -3 (-110)
Moneyline: LAC +140 | LV -175
Over/Under: O 53.5 (-110) | U 53.5 (-110)
Points are expected to be scored, which is reasonable given the teams involved. Still, the over-under is too high to chase without first confirming the Chargers will have Allen in this one. Regardless of that decision, the Raiders -3 is the best bet in this one. A must-win game, I expect the Raiders to bounce back behind Gruden and Carr.
Prediction
The Chargers make the Raiders earn it, coming out strong offensively behind Herbert and Ekeler. As the game goes on, the Raiders get big plays out of their offense in a game that reminds everyone how strong they can be offensively when they’re rolling. Must win means Gruden pulls out all the tricks, and it works in this one.
Final Score: Chargers 24, Raiders 33
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
