The Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders square off on Sunday in a must-win affair.
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders Betting Analysis and Predictions
The Best Bets for Sunday, January 9th
The Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders (9-7) in a must-win regular-season finale on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:20 P.M. PST at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
If the Indianapolis Colts defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the loser of the Chargers and Raiders game will be eliminated from postseason contention.
The Chargers are coming off of a quality 34-13 victory over the Denver Broncos last week. Los Angeles is 3-2 over their past five contests.
Las Vegas stayed in the playoff race with a nail-biter 23-20 win against the Colts a week ago. The Raiders have been rolling as of late, with three consecutive victories heading into Sunday’s action.
This is the kind of regular-season game NFL fans dream about. Division rivals prepared to lay it all on the line in a potential win or go home game. Let’s take a closer look at this AFC West matchup.
NFL – Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders Betting Trends
Los Angeles Chargers:
- Los Angeles is 8-8 ATS this season.
- The Chargers are 3-5 ATS after a win.
- They are 4-3 ATS on the road.
- Los Angeles is 4-6 ATS as a favorite.
- They are 0-2 ATS as a road favorite.
- The Chargers are 4-3 SU as the away team.
- Los Angeles is 5-5 SU as a favorite.
Las Vegas Raiders:
- Las Vegas is 7-9 ATS this year.
- The Raiders are 4-4 ATS following a win.
- They are 3-5 ATS at home.
- Las Vegas is 6-4 ATS as an underdog.
- They are 2-2 ATS as a home underdog.
- The Raiders are 4-4 SU at home.
- Las Vegas is 6-4 SU as an underdog.
Betting Odds
The Chargers and Raiders are both going to do whatever is necessary to win this game. This is truly anybody’s game for the taking, even though Los Angeles is a slight favorite according to the majority of sportsbooks.
But can the Chargers cover on the road?
The Chargers defeated Las Vegas at home last time these two rivals played one another. But that was a different Raiders team. They were dealing with early-season turmoil, and their focus was elsewhere.
The Chargers’ chances of winning this game start on offense. They are the sixth-ranked team in the NFL in points per game with an average of 27.6. Meanwhile, the Raiders surrender 25.4 points per contest which ranks 24th in the league.
When you factor in that Las Vegas averages just 21.2 points per game on offense, one has to figure that if the Chargers can reach that 27 mark or so, they should be in good shape to win.
But there are plenty of questions on the defensive side of things for LA. They rank just 26th overall, with 26.5 points allowed per game. And that statistic alone could be the key to Las Vegas upsetting the odds at home.
Derek Carr is no stranger to late game-winning drives and strong comeback efforts. If he can lead the Raiders to a big day on offense, they could turn this into a back-and-forth shootout. This would be preferable because there is a low probability of this Las Vegas injury-riddled and underwhelming defense containing Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and the high-octane Charger scoring attack.
The Raiders could utilize the natural momentum from the home crowd and possibly steal a late-game victory if the score is close late in the fourth quarter.
Best Betting Odds to Bet Online
BetUS: Chargers -3
MyBookie: Chargers -3
Bovada: Chargers -3
Betonline: Chargers -3
The Chargers are narrow three-point favorites heading into Sunday. But realistically, both teams have a shot at winning this game.
How To Bet On: Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders Betting lines
Regardless of the outcome, this is destined to be one of the best games on Sunday’s slate.
The Chargers offer plenty of firepower and feature a number of key offensive and defensive weapons. But the Raiders bring a hard-edge underdog mentality which can lead to an upset. There is a reason why Las Vegas is 6-4 as an underdog this year.
But the Chargers should be able to post a significant amount of points against this Raiders defense, and it is hard to imagine Las Vegas keeping pace with them. Yes, the Raiders have a tremendous home environment, and the momentum will be theirs for the taking, but Los Angeles is the better team overall.
And picking the better team is typically a good choice.
OBS Betting Picks for Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders
Take the Los Angeles Chargers -3 with your betting selection.
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All odds are courtesy of Betonline.
NFL:
- Green Bay Packers -3.5
- Detroit Lions +3.5
Pick: Green Bay Packers
The Packers should be able to take care of business against a Lions team that probably wouldn’t mind taking a loss due to draft-related reasons.
- Chicago Bears +4
- Minnesota Vikings -4
Pick: Minnesota Vikings -4
Look for Minnesota to cover at home.
- Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5
- Baltimore Ravens -3.5
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers -1.5
The Steelers can upset the odds following the momentum from Big Ben’s possible final home game last week.
- New Orleans Saints -3.5
- Atlanta Falcons +3.5
Pick: New Orleans Saints -3.5
New Orleans will look to close out their up-and-down season on a high note.
- San Francisco 49ers +3.5
- Los Angeles Rams -3.5
Los Angeles Rams -3.5
In what is likely the second-best game on the NFL slate for Sunday behind the Chargers-Raiders contest, expect the Rams to earn the victory at home against the 49ers.
NBA:
- Minnesota Timberwolves -6
- Houston Rockets +6
Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -6
Take the Timberwolves on the road.
- Denver Nuggets -7
- Oklahoma City Thunder +7
Pick: Denver Nuggets -7
Expect the Nuggets to cover the spread on the road at OKC.
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