When the Chargers (9-7) and Raiders (9-7) meet for the final game of the 2021 NFL regular season on “Sunday Night Football” (8:20 pm ET, NBC), they will play whatever feel like a playoff game. Barring a tie, only one of the two teams can make the AFC playoffs as a wild card team behind the Chiefs, winners of the West.
The Chargers are coming off a home rebound victory over the Broncos, while the Raiders stayed alive by beating the Colts on the road in Week 17. Justin Herbert and Derek Carr will duel for one of the latter two. wild card spots behind the Patriots.
The Chargers and Raiders will have almost full strength, so the game should live up to expectations.
Here’s everything you need to know about betting on Chargers vs. Raiders in Week 18, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for “Sunday Night Football.”
Chargers vs. Raiders for Sunday Night Football
- Spread: Chargers for 3
- Below: 49.5
- Money line: -164, +138
The Chargers have remained as road favorites for field goals all week. They have been the best team overall all season and beat the Raiders comfortably at home, 28-14, in Week 4. There is also no home advantage when it comes to Los Angeles or Las Vegas.
(betting odds per FanDuel bookmaker)
Chargers vs. Raiders
The Raiders lead the series 66-56-2. The Chargers have won two in a row. Before that, Las Vegas had a three-game winning streak that stretched back to Oakland. That halted a four-game streak by the Chargers, which came on the heels of another three-game streak by the Raiders.
Three trends to know
—59 percent of margin bettors are siding with the Raiders as home night losers over the Electric Chargers.
—A surprising 73 percent of over / under bettors believe the Chargers and Raiders offenses will outnumber the under-50 total.
The Chargers are only 4-6 against the spread and 5-5 in a row in their last 10 games. The total has exceeded eight times in those games. The Raiders are also just 4-6 ATS and 5-5 SU in their last 10 games. The total has been exceeded only four times.
Three things to see
Ekeler has had an excellent season leading the Chargers in the new offense under Joe Lombardi. He missed Week 16, but came back strong in Week 17. He’ll get a lot of touches to use his speed and quickness to burn down the Raiders.
Jacobs had his first 100-yard running game of the season in Week 16 against the Broncos. He has a great showdown this week and was key to winning a close game against the Colts in Week 18. It would be nice if he can get help from the passing game to open the running lines.
Both quarterbacks have been careless with the ball at times. One or two mistakes can make a big difference in a close, high-scoring game in which both teams will move the ball well. Herbert is the most reliable QB.
Statistics that matter
That’s the number of rushing yards on average the Raiders (No. 21 in the NFL) and Chargers (No. 30 in the NFL) allow. Although Herbert and Carr will dictate much of the action, this game will come down to which back can be more effective in all respects, Ekeler or Jacobs.
Chargers vs. Raiders
The Chargers have Herbert and the Raiders have Carr. Ekeler also had a more explosive season than Jacobs and Herbert has more dangerous receivers overall. They can also be more successful defensively as the Raiders are limited here and cannot handle such a versatile, aggressive, multi-faceted offense. Joey Bosa and the Chargers’ red-hot defense keep the game late.