Thursday Night Football – Chargers vs Raiders Preview
Los Angeles has cashed four straight under tickets; Raiders 5 of 6

If you want to get Raiders fans in the stadium or at least stop them from selling their tickets, then score more than nothing perhaps win a few games in the meantime.
Las Vegas (5-8) will host the Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) in a match-up that isn’t exactly what the folks at Prime wanted to see, but still, the cameras will be on Vegas, and that’s good for everyone.
With both teams out of the AFC playoff picture, oddsmakers made the opening NFL betting number Chargers -3.5 and 42.5, but with the announcement that Los Angeles Justin Herbert is having season-ending surgery, the Raiders are now 3-point favorites with a total of 34. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT.
Chargers vs Raiders 
Day/Time:
Location: Allegiant Stadium
Stream: ESPN
Herbert Makes Massive Mark On NFL Pointspread
I guess we know the worth of Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert after it was made public that Herbert is done for the year. The line moved 6.5 points, but that’s only because of the low number.
Herbert is out with a fractured right finger, an injury that might be considered lucky because it could be worse with the protection the fourth-year signal-caller has received this season. Easton Stick (2 career starts) will now start for the foreseeable future, setting up the highly anticipated Stick vs Aiden O’Connell matchup.
It may be more entertaining to watch a still cam of Las Vegas Boulevard for three hours, but we’re guessing they’re going to at least three-quarters of the game before making the switch. As a dog this season, the Chargers are just 1-4 ATS after a three-season run of being a profitable wager as a favorite.
The good news is that the Chargers have covered 7 of their last 10 against the Raiders as a dog and 24 of 41 overall since 2003, but just 4-5 over their last nine meetings. Not one of these numbers matter with Herbert out, but interesting to look at. We continue our Chargers vs Raiders preview by focusing on the Silver and Black.
Raiders Touchdown Drought Reaches Six Quarters
In what has to be our most cynical story of the season, we think back long ago to when Josh Jacobs broke off a 63-yard touchdown win to give the Las Vegas Raiders an early 14-0 second-quarter lead against the Kansas City Chiefs.
That was the last time Vegas would find the end zone, a streak that sits idle at 102 minutes and spans almost seven quarters. One doesn’t have to be around the team to know that this is a delicate time after the Raiders’ defense pitched a shutout against the Minnesota Vikings until Greg Joseph kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead at the 1:57 mark of the fourth quarter to provide the final margin of victory.
The final numbers represent a box score that should only be viewed when the wife and kids are in bed. Eight first downs, four sacks allowed, 56 yards rushing, three turnovers, one trip in the red zone, and a fan base that would rather try to recoup their money spent on season tickets than sit in their house to watch a franchise that seems directionless. We conclude our Chargers vs Raiders preview with our official selection.
Let’s Get Crazy
The wish is that we could write a long paragraph about how we like this selection, but our play is more about the number than the NFL teams surrounding it. Not since 2012 have we seen a total this low, but we are staring at a number that reminds us of how we feel when we’re trying to fit a keyword into a sentence that seems perfectly straightforward without it. 34 is hanging up on the betting board while trying to act natural in a sea of more traditional numbers. Easton Stick has played in one game this NFL season, completing a less-than-encouraging 54.2% of his passes against the Denver Broncos in a 24-7 loss.
Before we start to think that both of these teams may find a way to have a negative score, let us not forget so quickly about…never mind, we can’t even begin to case, but we know that in betting, two negatives usually equal a positive which is why we’re betting the over while watching the game through our fingers.
That does it for our very cynical look at the Chargers vs Raiders preview . We wish you nothing but the best with your wagers this weekend.
For NFL betting news, NFL games, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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