NFL Week 9: Raiders vs. Chargers odds, preview and pick
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) hands off to running back Josh Jacobs (28). (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)
November 5th, 2020
An intriguing AFC West battle will take place at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) as the Las Vegas Raiders (4-3) visit the Los Angeles Chargers (2-5). Which offensively-driven squad will come out on top in this one? Here’s our preview.
Chargers keep collapsing late
No lead has been safe with the Chargers of late – they surrendered a 24-3 advantage against the Broncos last week, the fourth game in a row they blew a lead of 16 or more points.
"I thought we had the game under control," head coach Anthony Lynn told Sports Illustrated after Sunday’s defeat. "…Very frustrating."
Justin Herbert and company squandered 17-point leads against the Buccaneers and Saints, respectively, before losing to two straight teams with sub-.500 records in the Jaguars and Broncos.
DREW LOCK TO KJ HAMLER FOR THE WIN 🔥 @Kj_hamler @Broncos pic.twitter.com/4Imw0NRTXX
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 2, 2020
Raiders held down Browns in Week 8
Las Vegas came out on top in a 16-6 slugfest in Cleveland last week that featured very cold and windy conditions, and even a little "graupel." Regardless of the bad conditions, the Raiders’ stoppers deserve some credit for holding the Browns to 223 total yards.
Carr, Jacobs spearhead balanced Vegas attack
On a day where the aerial attack had to be forsaken, Raiders tailback Josh Jacobs delivered his best effort since his three-touchdown performance in Week 1 when he rushed for a season-high 128 yards on 31 carries against Cleveland.
Josh is fully in his bag. #BeGreat28@Iam_JoshJacobs | #LVvsCLE | FOX pic.twitter.com/DmxXEvCy2X
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 1, 2020
Las Vegas signal caller Derek Carr hasn’t put himself into the MVP discussion this year, but he’s keeping his club in contention on a weekly basis with a 71.1 completion percentage, 7.8 yards per attempt, and a 14-2 touchdown-interception ratio.
Jon Gruden’s offense, producing the 12th-most points per game in the NFL (26.7), has little to fear against the L.A.’s 19th-rated scoring defense (26.4 points allowed per game).
Raiders and Chargers statistics and rankings
| Team | Passing Yards | Rushing Yards | Passing Yards Allowed | Rushing Yards Allowed |
|---|
Las Vegas Raiders | 252.0 (16th) | 127.0 (11th) | 260.7 (25th) | 117.1 (14th) |
Los Angeles Chargers | 280.4 (6th) | 136.7 (8th) | 251.7 (22nd) | 112.3 (12th) |
Road warrior Raiders thrive as underdogs
Trend bettors should note that the Raiders are 5-1 against the spread in their last six road games, with a 4-1 mark against the spread when catching points. Las Vegas has also covered in four of their last five divisional contests.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games as a favorite, 3-9-1 against the spread in their last 13 home games, and 1-6-1 against the spread in their last eight divisional games.
Predicted score: Raiders 27, Chargers 20
NFL pick: Raiders +1
Wager on all NFL Week 9 action now at BetAmerica.
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