The Raiders (7-6) will put their fading AFC wild-card playoff hopes on the line when they host the Chargers (4-9) in Las Vegas to open NFL Week 15 on "Thursday Night Football" (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video).
Defense has been the issue for the Raiders. After they got gashed by run and pass at home in Week 14's loss to the Colts, they fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther and replaced him with Rod Marinelli. Jon Gruden is hoping his team still has some fight late.
The Chargers have struggled under coach Anthony Lynn, with more close-game woes. But they also have seen the promise of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert as the biggest bright side of their season.
Here's everything to know about betting on Raiders vs. Chargers in Week 15, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for "Thursday Night Football."
WEEK 15 NFL PICKS: Against the spread | Straight up
Raiders vs. Chargers odds
- Spread: Raiders by 3.5
- Over/under: 53.5
- Point spread odds: Chargers +150, Raiders -170
The Raiders started as field-goal favorites with a tiny increase in their favor. The Chargers tend to play close games, win or lose. Las Vegas comes in more desperate in prime time than Los Angeles.
Raiders vs. Chargers all-time series
The Raiders lead the series 66-54, including a 31-26 great escape in Los Angeles on Nov. 8. They have won three straight, which stopped a run of the Chargers winning four straight. The teams have traded multiple-victory runs since 2013.
Three trends to know
— 52 percent of spread bettors remember how the Chargers just fell short in the first matchup and believe they will stay closer here.
— 91 percent of over/under bettors think the point total is too low with two bad defenses and too strong offenses on the field.
— The Raiders are 7-6 against the spread with nine of their games going over. The Chargers are 5-7-1 against the spread with seven of their games going over.
Three things to watch
Josh Jacobs' touches
The Raiders win when they can run the ball effectively and feed their second-year feature back when healthy. He had 14 carries for 65 yards and a TD in the first meeting in Week 9. When Jacobs carries the ball more than 20 times, the Raiders are 5-0 this season.
Austin Ekeler's touches
Since returning from injury in Week 12, Ekeler has racked up 61 touches for 343 yards to help the Chargers' offense move the ball with Herbert. With the downfield passing game struggling, Ekeler should be busy in the passing game to support Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry on short-to-intermediate routes.
Derek Carr's drive
Carr has been on a roller coaster the past three weeks. He was terrible against the Falcons' weak pass defense in Week 12. He was much better against the Jets in Week 13, but still needed an improbable late TD pass to avoid late defeat. He made too mistakes in the loss to the Colts last week. Carr must play well to save his team against an improving Chargers pass defense.
Stats that matter
120.0 and 128.1. That's how many average rushing yards per game the Chargers' and Raiders' defenses give up, respectively. The Raiders have the No. 12 rushing offense, while the Chargers have the No. 16 rushing offense. This game will best off won on the ground with Herbert and Carr having their ups and downs with Jacobs and Ekeler back healthy.
Raiders vs. Chargers prediction
The Raiders will come in with desperation under Carr and Gruden and will go back to basics with plenty of Jacobs at home to pound away on the Chargers and also help keep Herbert off the field to go after their defense. The Raiders respond offensively and defensively to salvage what's left of their wild-card hopes.
Raiders 31, Chargers 24
