Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers Matchup Preview (12/17/20): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-9) travel to the desert for a Thursday Night game against the Las Vegas Raiders (7-6). The Chargers do not have the season they wanted, but the founding of their new franchise quarterback and rise of playmakers on offense shows signs for optimism next season. They are injury-ravaged right now, so this game will be about endurance and heart.

The Raiders, meanwhile, are a team difficult to understand. They’ve handed the Chiefs their only loss this year and won a defensive battle against the 9-4 Browns. But they are a dismal 2-4 against teams with a winning record as a whole. The Raiders were also one decent play call away from losing to the winless Jets. This game for them will be about identity. Are they a legitimately good team, or did they pick up a couple of lucky wins on the road to another losing season?

For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: December 17th, 2020
Time: 8:20 PM ET
Location: Allegiant Stadium – Paradise, Nevada
TV Coverage: FOX

Raiders vs. Chargers Live Stream

Where can you watch Raiders vs. Chargers online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Raiders vs. Chargers Free Online Now.

Injuries:

*Indicates Expected Week 15 Return From IR
Las Vegas Raiders:
IR list: Tyrell Williams (shoulder), Richie Incognito (foot), Tanner Muse (covid), Maliek Collins (hamstring), Jeff Heath (concussion), Henry Ruggs III (covid), Takkarist McKinley (groin). Out: Clelin Ferrell (shoulder), Nevin Lawson (illness), Jonathan Abram (concussion), Damon Arnette (concussion), Nicholas Morrow (concussion).

Los Angeles Chargers:
IR list: Mike Pouncey (hip), Melvin Ingram (knee), Ryan Groy (covid), Trey Pipkins (covid), Virgil Green* (ankle), Drue Tranquill* (ankle). Out: Bryan Bulaga (concussion), Emeke Egbule (undisclosed). Questionable: Mike Williams (back), Keenan Allen (hamstring), Austin Ekeler (quadriceps).

Las Vegas Raiders Analysis

The Raiders (7-6) lost last week to devastate their hopes at a playoff ticket. They still have a chance to earn a wildcard spot but will likely need to win out their schedule. They will be competing with the Ravens and Dolphins for the 7th seed, both of which share an 8-5 record. Their playoff push starts this week against a matchup against the 4-9 Chargers.

The Raiders can be grateful for Derek Carr’s improved play at quarterback. His numbers do not immediately stand out, 3343 passing yards (12th), 24 touchdowns (11th), and 68.2 completion percentage (10th), but he has cleaned up an interception problem that has plagued him for several years. His 7 interceptions this season, if it holds, will be the fewest he’s thrown since 2016. He also threw the most touchdown passes in a season since 2016 as well, a year in which he went to the pro bowl. Last week he did not play particularly well, however. He threw for over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he coughed up 2 costly interceptions. One was a Red Zone interception to the endzone that eventually led to a Colts field goal, and the other was a pick-six. This week against a Chargers’ defense that allows an average passer rating of 94.8 (20th), he will need to do better.

Carr will be throwing to several talented receivers as well. Nelson Agholor and Hunter Renfrow have similar reception and yardage numbers (around 40 receptions and 600 yards each), but it is Agholor’s 7 touchdowns that reveal his value being slightly higher than Renfrow. They’ve notably each earned 4 receptions in the last 3 games. Both Agholor and Renfrow will be used as Carr’s weapons against the Chargers.

His favorite target, however, happens to be a tight end. In-fact the Raiders are one of just two teams in the league, with the leading receiver being a tight end entering week 15 (the other team is the Chiefs). Darren Waller is 2nd among all tight ends with 817 yards, trailing just Travis Kelce’s 1250. He also has 7 of Carr’s 24 touchdowns this year, which ties Agholor for leading the team. The Chargers defense will need to gameplan their passing defense against this 6’6 target.

An analysis of the Raiders’ offense would be incomplete without the mention of Josh Jacobs. The 2nd year running back is having an even better year than his rookie season. With 831 rushing yards (8th), and 9 rushing touchdowns (7th), he should be on his way to the pro bowl. He is almost entirely why Las Vegas ranks as the 12th best rushing offense in the league (117.9 ground yards per game). Against a Chargers defense that allows 120 rushing yards per game (21st), Josh Jacobs should bounce back from his underwhelming 49-yard game last week.

Between an improved passing game and a strong rushing attack, the Raiders’ offense ranks above average in the league. They travel 369.3 yards (14th) and score 26.9 points (11th) per game. Neither metric ranks top 10, but they are both above most of the NFL. It is worth noting that they convert a league’s best 50% of their third downs (81 for 162). The Chargers defense, meanwhile, allows 43% of third downs to be converted, 23rd in the league. A series of clutch plays on third may give the Raiders’ offense an advantage in this game.

The Las Vegas defense is worrisome going into this matchup. A team ranked 30th in points allowed per game (30.1) does not bode well against a quarterback set to break the record for most passing touchdowns for a rookie (he needs just 3 more to break Mayfield’s record of 27). It becomes even more concerning for the Raiders when considering the secondary allows 256.1 passing yards per game, 25th in the league. They don’t earn many interceptions, either; their 10 on the year rank 15th in the league.

The Raiders’ rushing defense is even worse than the secondary. They have allowed 128.1 ground yards per game (25th) and the most rushing touchdowns by any team this season (21 conceded). They’ve only caused 5 fumbles this year as well, 29th fewest in the league. This rushing defense is not terrible for a huge volume of attempts, either. Opposing rushes earn on average 4.7 yards per carry, 3rd most in the league against any team. Chargers’ running back Austin Ekeler should be able to take advantage of this matchup.

The Raiders at 7-6 still have hopes for a late-season playoff push. This year holds their best record after 14 weeks since 2016, and 2nd best since 2002. If they found a way to the postseason, it would be their 2nd trip since 2002 and give them an opportunity to snap a 17 season drought of a playoff win. With an accurate quarterback, talented receiving core, and star running back, you would think their offense would be enough to carry them to a playoff birth. But a lackluster defense has caused problems for this Raiders team and will be the biggest point of emphasis in the offseason. This matchup against the Chargers will tell us if Las Vegas has just enough to end their years of suffering or if it’s just another disappointing season for the silver and black.

Las Vegas Raiders Depth Chart

QB: Derek Carr
RB1: Josh Jacobs
RB2: Jalen Richard
WR1: Henry Ruggs
WR2: Tyrell Williams
WR3: Hunter Renfrow
TE: Darren Waller

Los Angeles Chargers Analysis

Los Angeles should take this year as a bitter-sweet. With 9 losses, it will be a losing season, but they have won in many regards, and I don’t just mean their 4 wins against teams. One example is how they have found their franchise quarterback. Justin Herbert now has 25 passing touchdowns on the year (9th) after scoring 2 last week against the Falcons.

But plenty of credit for Herbert’s success can be attributed to a very strong receiving core. Keenan Allen is 25 yards away from completing his 4th consecutive 1000 yard season. The 975 yards ranks 12th in the league, alongside 8 touchdowns (9th) and 99 receptions (2nd). There is no doubt that Allen is on his way to his 4th pro bowl. Teammate Mike Williams has also contributed to Herbert’s great rookie year. The 4th year receiver out of Clemson has 36 receptions (95th) for 572 yards (53rd) and 4 touchdowns (44th). Unlike Allen, he’s not headed to the pro bowl, but he is headed down the field for some big plays. His 10 catches for 20+ yards is 28th in the league. They are both very talented players for this team.

But Allen and Williams are also listed as questionable entering this matchup. Allen is suffering a hamstring injury while Williams is dealing with a nagging back problem that sidelined him last game. They were both limited participants in practice on Tuesday. It remains uncertain if they will play on Thursday.

If they are ruled out, Hunter Henry will see an even great share of looks from Herbert. The 6’5 target has 55 receptions for 548 yards, both ranking in the top 5 among tight ends. Last week he tallied 6 receptions for 41 yards in the win against the Falcons. He now has at least 4 receptions in 6 of his last 7 games. Henry only has 3 touchdowns on the year, but that may change this game with Herbert’s two top targets potentially missing this matchup.

None of these players, however, led the team in receiving last week. Austin Ekeler returned just a few weeks ago and has played a huge role in the receiving game. He has averaged 8 receptions for 61 receiving yards in that time period. Keep in mind that he’s a running back. He also ran for an average of 53 yards in those games. The Charger had previously missed most of the season due to a hamstring injury. He may miss time again as he is listed under “questionable” this week for a quad injury. But if he does play, expect another big game from him.

The strong passing game and revitalized run game are why the Chargers travel 383 yards per game, 8th best in the league. This yardage is carried by their 270.4 passing yards per game, 4th best in the league. Similar to Las Vegas, they impress on third downs with a rate of 44.56 percent (7th). By simple metrics, they can move the ball pretty efficiently.

But they fail to score many points. Their 22.8 points per game ranks 22nd in the league. Just two weeks ago, they were shutout by the Patriots in Gillette Stadium. They may travel, but their drives too often stall out. With 4 punt attempts per game, they rank 11th in the league for most. If they want to win this game against a strong offensive team, they will need to score more points.

This Chargers defense is better than the basic statistics might show. While they allow 27.8 points (26th) per game, they hold teams to just 336.1 yards (9th). The reason for this discrepancy is that the Chargers’ defense has the worst average starting field position out of any defense in the league. On average, they are starting on their own 32.75-yard line. Opposing offenses don’t need to travel very far to score. It makes sense, therefore, that opposing teams score 0.455 points per play, the third-most in the league. It’s not necessarily the result of a bad defense, just less plays needed to score points.

There is some more evidence the Chargers defense performs better than basic stats show. They allow just 6.5 yards per attempt passing, which ranks 8th best in the league. Opposing quarterbacks throw an average completion percentage of just 63.34%, 9th lowest against any defense. By diving into the metrics, it’s clear this Los Angeles secondary is legitimately strong.

The rushing defense, however, could use work. They allow 120 ground yards per game (21st) off a 4.6 yards per carry average (24th). They also allow exactly 1 rushing touchdown per game, 16th in the league. The tough battle against a top 10 rusher (Josh Jacobs) will be pivotal in this game.

The Chargers are very close to becoming an intimidating contender in this league. They have a young franchise quarterback, a talented playmaker core, and an underrated defense. With an improvement to their rush offense and defense, they will become a problem for teams in the NFL.

Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart

QB: Justin Herbert
RB1: Austin Ekeler
RB2: Justin Jackson
WR1: Keenan Allen
WR2: Mike Williams
WR3: Joe Reed
TE: Hunter Henry

Betting Corner Favored: Las Vegas Raiders -3

Spread: -3 Raiders
Moneyline: -190 Raiders, +170 Chargers
Over/Under: 53

Prediction

Spread: +3 Chargers
Moneyline: +170 Chargers
Over/Under: Over

I don’t expect either team to run away with this one. The Raiders and Chargers are more-or-less evenly matched, with similarly above-average offenses with below-average defenses. They each possess talented players but have fallen short of their season expectations. I have the Chargers, however, at +3 for betting. Close games favor the underdog, and I think the Chargers will surprise people. Their offense and defense are both underrated, especially the secondary. I understand they are facing some injuries, but Justin Herbert will still have Hunter Henry, Tyron Johnson, and Kalen Ballage, who have all been impressive this season. I’m taking the underdogs in this one to cover and win. Final Score Prediction: 33-27 Chargers

Daily Fantasy Love/Hate

Love: Austin Ekeler
Since returning from injury Austin Ekeler has been putting up huge fantasy numbers. He averages 19.4 points PPR in his 3 games back. His success is largely built on his pass-catch ability. He’s averaged an incredible 8 receptions in his last 3 games, which is gold in PPR leagues. He may have an even increased role on Thursday with injuries to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. He is listed as questionable, however, entering the matchup. If he’s cleared to play, Ekeler should be started in daily and season-long leagues.

Hate: Las Vegas Raiders D/ST
The Raiders rank dead last among all fantasy defenses. They average just 0.6 fantasy points per game. Last week they were torn apart by Indianapolis’ offense, resulting in a fantasy game of -8 points. The Chargers offense does not always score points, but they move the ball enough for them to be a threat against Las Vegas. Look for any other defense to start in season-long and daily fantasy leagues.