Chargers Will Strike Down Raiders Good Start

Chargers vs. Raiders, 10:00 ET

I was happy to be correct about the Falcons vs. Vikings last night. This has been a good start to the NFL season, but there is a very long way to go. Watching the game between the Bears and Vikings on Monday Night Football to start the season made me think that JJ McCarthy was not very good and got lucky. The Falcons looked better, and it certainly looked that way last night too. I also watched both the Chargers and Raiders play in their opening games, so I am hoping that will help me give us a win here as the Chargers take on the Raiders.

The Chargers are off to the most ideal start for them - I know, it is one game, and I'm not trying to overreact. But, not only did they beat the Chiefs in Brazil last week, they now have a chance to go 2-0 to start their season against divisional opponents as well. To make things better for them, the Chiefs lost yesterday, and so did the Broncos, so they have a great opportunity here. Los Angeles has virtually all that you could look for in a team: they have a great coach, a top quarterback, good weapons, and a strong defense. Against the Chiefs, the Chargers were able to hold them to 21 points. I won't sit here and lie to you - the Chiefs offense is terrible, so maybe the Chargers defense didn't look great, or looked really good, depending on how you feel about them. The Chiefs didn't run the ball all that much, but they were able to average 5.8 yards per carry in the game. I think that is an opportunity for the Raiders to try and exploit. For the Chargers, I also expect them to rely on their running game. Omarion Hampton was the clear primary back with Najee Harris only getting one carry compared to 15 for Hampton.

HENDERSON, NEVADA - APRIL 07: Quarterback Geno Smith is introduced at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on April 07, 2025 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Raiders got a victory in their first game of the season, and we were able to grab a win on that one as I expected them to play fairly well against an overrated New England team. Before we go celebrating too much, it isn't like the Raiders blew the Patriots out or anything. Drake Maye had a terrible game, and the Raiders did just enough to get a victory for themselves. Las Vegas took the game 20-13, but they were in control for the majority of the second half. They trailed 10-7 at halftime, but put up 13 unanswered points before allowing a very late field goal. Geno Smith had a nice game, going 24-for-34 with one touchdown and one interception. Stud rookie running back Ashton Jeanty had a touchdown on 19 carries, but only got 38 rushing yards. I'd expect him to have another tough game here, but if he can break free a bit, the Raiders should remain in this one. My biggest problem with the Raiders is their defense. Even against Maye and this bad Patriots offense, they allowed 336 yards, including 276 through the air.  

Frankly, I'd be surprised to see the Raiders win this game. The Chargers are coming back from Brazil, but they've been back and had extra rest as a result of the game. The Chiefs didn't look too bad in their game yesterday, so I'd expect the Chargers to look good as well. I wouldn't say the Raiders have a home field advantage, and I think that's baked in a bit here as the Chargers come to town. They should be favored by more on what should be a neutral field. I'll take the Chargers -3 in this one. I also think Hampton gets the 1st touchdown of the game.

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