The Las Vegas Raiders (3-0, 1-0 away) battle the Los Angeles Chargers (2-1, 0-1 home) in an AFC West Conference matchup in primetime on Monday Night Football. Both teams are coming off narrow victories last week, with the Raiders defeating Miami, 31-28 in overtime, and the Chargers upsetting the Chiefs, 30-24, on the road.
Monday’s kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. EST inside SoFi Stadium in Englewood, CA. According to the oddsmakers, the Chargers are a 3-point favorite, and the total over-under is at 52 points.
What to Know – Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas is 3-0 for the first time since 2002 when the Raiders made it to the Super Bowl. With Denver losing on Sunday, a victory for the Raiders would put them in sole possession of the top spot in the AFC West a month into play.
Offensively, the Raiders average 30.0 points per game behind an offense that generates 492.3 yards per game. The defense holds opponents to 24.0 points and 368.7 yards of offense per contest.
The Raiders’ offense only averages 91.0 yards on the ground, but veteran quarterback David Carr has terrorized opposing defenses through the air. Carr is completing 64.7% of his passes for a league-best 1,203 yards with six touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Matchup nightmare Darren Waller is Carr’s favorite target, hauling in 20 of 33 targets for 224 yards and one score.
Las Vegas is 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games against AFC West foes and 6-1 straight-up over their last seven games.
What to Know – Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are off to a solid start under first-year head coach Brandon Staley. Los Angeles pulled out a shocker last week on the road against KC, and with a win, Monday can move into a share of the top spot in the standings.
Los Angeles averages 22.3 points and surrenders 20.0 points per game. The Chargers churn out 406.0 yards of offense and allow 380.7 defensively.
Second-year quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown for 956 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. Herbert is completing 69.8% of his throws and threw for four touchdowns on the road last week in Kansas City. Wide receiver Mike Williams is Herbert’s go-to guy, catching 22 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns through three games.
The Chargers are 6-1 ATS through their last seven games and 4-1 ATS in their previous five against AFC opponents.
The Pick is In
Monday’s primetime contest is sure to excite the audience with the quarterback battle between Carr and Herbert. Both these teams rely heavily on the passing attack, so expect a shootout on the West Coast that will include some fireworks.
These two familiar rivals met twice last season, both games being decided by a total of eight points. Another close contest is in store, and the improved Raiders’ defense proves to be the difference-maker in the contest. We like Las Vegas Raiders to keep it close in another epic dog fight between these rivals.
Betting Pick: Las Vegas Raiders +3
