The Raiders vs. Chargers matchup is a game that many have circled because of its potential to be the highest-scoring contest of the week. The AFC West is absolutely stacked, and NFL fans are lucky to get a game from this division in Week 1.
Many will remember these two teams’ matchup in the final week of last season. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 35-32 in an overtime thriller to clinch the final playoff spot in the AFC. That game was highly entertaining and the rematch should be just as exciting.
Raiders vs. Chargers Week 1 NFL Betting Picks & Predictions
Raiders vs. Chargers betting odds
Raiders Add Offensive Firepower In The Offseason
The Raiders acquired wide receiver Davante Adams, from the Green Bay Packers this offseason. Adams had the 10th most air yards at 95 per game and he had the third highest yards per route run at 3.24. He is a weapon on offense that opposing defenses have to game plan around. You might remember that nine years ago Adams and Derek Carr were teammates at Fresno State in 2013. Carr threw 24 touchdown passes to Adams that season, while Adams amassed just over 1700 receiving yards.
In 2021, the Raiders averaged 269.4 passing yards per game, good for sixth-most in the NFL. The Chargers were third-most at 282.4 passing yards per game. Kansas City, also division rivals, finished second in the NFL in passing yards per game.
While the Raiders passing game looks formidable if you look at that ranking, the team’s pass offense DVOA was just 17th, and in need of some improvement. Raiders fans are hoping Davante Adams can help the Raiders improve from last year. Especially since everyone else in the division also invested in their offenses coming into this season.
Finally, bringing in Josh McDaniels as head coach has some fans optimistic that this can become an elite offense.
The Chargers Upgraded Their Defense In The Offseason
While many of the AFC West teams were upgrading their offense, the Chargers turned their attention to defense. In 2021, the Chargers’ defense was a weakness. Their run defense finished 30th in DVOA while their pass defense came in 19th in DVOA.
Their biggest move was trading a second-round and sixth-round picks to the Chicago Bears for Khalil Mack. With Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack on the edges, the Chargers have quite a pass rush that opposing offensive lines will lose sleep over.
The Chargers also got help in their secondary by adding defensive back J.C. Jackson. Jackson was selected for the Pro Bowl last season. One could argue that he should have made the Pro Bowl the year before that, as well. However, Jackson is currently listed as doubtful to play on Sunday against the Raiders with an ankle injury. It remains to be seen if he will in fact sit out.
To help with their run defense the Chargers added Sebastian Joseph-Day. The 6-4, 295-pound defensive tackle should immediately improve the Chargers’ defensive line. Although that is assuming Joseph-Day is healthy. He tore his pectoral in 2021 and did not play after Week 7.
Raiders vs. Chargers Prediction
The line opened at Chargers -4 and is now currently at Chargers -3.5. 76% of the money on spread bets has been placed on the Raiders, while 53% of the bets have been placed on the Chargers.
The game total opened at 51.5 and is now at 52.0. 78% of the bets have been placed OVER the point total, which makes sense given how these teams fared most recently in Week 18 of the 2021 season. The majority of bettors are expecting a wild shootout.
Despite the concerns with the Chargers run defense in the past both teams are going to want to pass the ball. Last season the Raiders and Chargers were 62.9% and 62.5% in pass play percentage, respectively. To further support this, Justin Herbert‘s passing attempts prop is at 36.5 attempts, while Derek Carr‘s is set at 37.5 passing attempts.
The Chargers pass defense should be improved but they will be without J.C. Jackson for this first game which is a major setback. The defensive depth chart could look a lot like they did last year until he is back on the field. On the flip side, the Raiders pass defense was 21st in DVOA and they did not make any significant acquisitions in their pass defense.
The lines are extremely sharp at the moment with this being such a popular game on this slate. If there is a game line that has a positive expected ROI, jump on it. OddsShopper can help identify those by using the “Sharp Sportsbook Lines.“ The best bet below is the one that shows the highest expected ROI of all the game lines posted.
Best Raiders vs. Chargers Bet: Chargers First Half Point Spread -2.5 (-110) at DraftKings
