The Oakland Raiders took a major step back following their 21-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as they fell from a tie for the best record in the AFC to a Wild Card spot. Now the Raiders will try to bounce back this week when they visit the San Diego Chargers in another crucial AFC West showdown with major playoff implications.
While the Raiders are 10-3 on the season and the Chargers are merely 5-7, you can see how much skepticism the Raiders are viewed with as they are only a field goal favorite at San Diego – even with 10 days to prepare. The Chargers are a battered and bruised team that will be without their starting running back
Moneyline: Oakland -145
Handicap/Spread Odds: Raiders -3
Total O/U: 49.5
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 10/09/16 | SD 31 – OAK 34 | SD 3.5 | O 50.5 |
| 12/24/15 | SD 20 – OAK 23 x | SD 4 | U 45 |
| 10/25/15 | OAK 37 – SD 29 | OAK 3.5 | O 48 |
| 11/16/14 | OAK 6 – SD 13 | OAK 10.5 | U 45.5 |
| 10/12/14 | SD 31 – OAK 28 | OAK 7.5 | O 43.5 |
On The Raiders Side of the Ball (10-3 Record, 8-5 ATS)
The cold, winter conditions in Kansas City were too much for the Raiders vertical passing game to handle last Thursday night as Derek Carr completed just 17-of-41 pass attempts for 117 yards and no touchdowns. The Oakland receivers were struggling to haul in balls but some of the blame was on Carr as he wasn’t his usual accurate self. The Raiders will try to correct those mistakes when they play San Diego this week and it should help that the weather will be more favorable on the west coast. Meanwhile, it might be a good idea to try to get running back Latavius Murray going again as he has 185 rushing yards and three scores over his last two outings and will be even more important in those cold playoff games on the east coast if Oakland finishes in a Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Raiders defense will have its hands full with Phillip Rivers and company and need to be better after allowing 31 points in their first meeting.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/08/16 | @KC | L 13-21 | L 3.5 | U 46 |
| 12/04/16 | BUF | W 38-24 | W -3 | O 48.5 |
| 11/27/16 | CAR | W 35-32 | L -3.5 | O 48.5 |
| 11/21/16 | HOU | W 27-20 | W -6.5 | O 45.5 |
| 11/06/16 | DEN | W 30-20 | W -1 | O 44.5 |
On The Chargers Side of the Ball (5-8 Record, 7-6 ATS)
The Chargers limp in to this game on the heels of back-to-back losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers and have lost three of their last four overall to fall out of playoff contention. Rivers hasn’t been at his best of late but he has averaged 264 passing yards per game this season so it will be on him to try to take advantage of a mediocre Raiders secondary. San Diego has relied heavily on its passing attack and in some ways that has come back to haunt them as opposing defenses know what to expect and can key in on it. Meanwhile, the Chargers defense has been just as bad as Oakland’s through the air as they have allowed an average of 262.2 passing yards per game. San Diego will need to try to find ways to get pressure on Carr and try to force him in to making mistakes the way the Chiefs did last Thursday night.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/11/16 | @CAR | L 16-28 | L 1 | U 48.5 |
| 12/04/16 | TB | L 21-28 | L -3.5 | P 49 |
| 11/27/16 | @HOU | W 21-13 | W -2.5 | U 45.5 |
| 11/13/16 | MIA | L 24-31 | L -4 | O 48.5 |
| 11/06/16 | TEN | W 43-35 | W -3.5 | O 47.5 |
Quick Analysis
The Raiders are 5-1 straight up and against the spread this season so they should be in a strong position to bounce back at San Diego this week in a must-win situation. The Chargers are 2-4 straight up and against the spread over their last six games overall and they are just 3-3 at home this season.
Prediction
Oakland is coming off just its third loss of the season and while it is no longer in control of its own destiny in the AFC West the Wild Card spot will be a lock if they can take care of their own business. The Raiders have had an extra few days to prepare for this game following their TNF loss to Kansas City so look for the passing attack to be on point as Carr and company bounce back with a big win on the road over San Diego.
Pick: Raiders -2.5
Note: Lines subject to change leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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