A spread of 3.5 points would normally suggest the Raiders and Chargers are virtually levels in a football game on Thursday night. But the amount of work and adjustments we’ve made suggests we’re about two points better than the Raiders. As the odds and the margin show, this should be a fascinating match and I’m in favour of it.
On the field, the Raiders’ ability to exploit the Chargers’ lack of depth at wide receiver and tight end is obvious. The Raiders have conceded the most goals against (103) this season, which is the fourth most goals by a team in the competition – the most by a team in the top 10.
Unfortunately, a look at the football’s previous spread on Thursday doesn’t help unravel the Chargers-Raiders game. Looking at yards per game, the numbers are even more mixed, further suggesting that the spread for the Chargers-Raiders game is quite tight, but why is it only 3.5 points? Chargers defenseman Keenan Allen (hamstring) and defenseman Antonio Gates (knee) will both be ready for tonight’s game against the Raiders.
From here, the Raiders will continue in Las Vegas and await the Miami Dolphins, who host the Patriots on Sunday. After that, they head to Kansas City for a game against the Chiefs and then home to Oakland for another game.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are still fighting for a playoff spot and cannot afford to lose another game. Coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders won’t give up what they did against the Chargers, but they can bring their defense back on the field if they score quickly. The more Derek Carr can deal with receivers who are able to force one – on – one against a Chargers that isn’t stacked at the scrimmage line, the better.
That’s a huge thing, especially considering how awful the Las Vegas Raiders have been all season. Los Angeles has done its best to play the Raiders even after Derek Carr goes out with an injury, and Waller has been a standout in those games, catching 23 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games. The RB team has averaged 22.4 yards per carry in games in which it has won, with four plays with at least one touchdown.
Chargers kicker Michael Badgley missed a 47-yard field goal with 3: 38 left in the fourth quarter, and time ran out as the Chargers struggled to get the kicker off the field, costing them a chance at three points. At least three of those points were taken off the board after the Raiders gave them a lot of life to move the game into OT.
After LA was forced to open the half, the Raiders made up for it with a 10-play, 76-yard drive with 5: 23 left, ending with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Amari Cooper in the third.
The Raiders got the ball back to their 14-yard line with 13: 29 left in the second quarter, but a pass to wide receiver Jalen Guyton that curled around them was Herbert’s first in completion of the game. The Chargers pushed for a second time on the field, but it didn’t yield any points. They took over with 12: 41 left on a 16-yard return by Hunter Renfrow, but another scoring chance was wasted with two minutes left in regulation time as the Raiders sat at the Chargers’ 21-yard line.
Chargers got the ball back with 1: 00 left in the half, but the possession ended in three points when placeholder Daniel Carlson booted a 23-yard field goal off the uprights. I thought we did it and we took the chance to take the lead and put them into the second half with a good drive and a great play from our defence.
Back on Monday, the Los Angeles Chargers essentially listed their entire team on the injury list, which is now translated to a real game-time decision. The Raiders had to settle for a three-pointer in the second half after quarterback Derek Carr returned from a groin strain.
When it comes to defending the red zone, the Raiders have allowed opponents to score a touchdown in the red zone – zone on 59.1 percent of their possession, compared to 59-1 percent for the Chargers. They’re 6-0 in the ATs, they’re the home team and they have so much more game than the Chargers. The Raiders have lost three of their last four, while the Chargers have lost five of their previous seven.
It was the Chiefs’ challenge in the past two years that gave the Raiders hope at the start of the 2019 season. Oakland got its turn in 2016, winning 12 games and qualifying for a playoff spot, but that should be a short-lived turnaround. The following year they fell to 10 defeats and this year they have lost nine of their last 10 games.
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Darryl has bagged total experience of approximately 4 years in the field of Technology. He had started his career as a journalist. At present, he serves as the Team Lead in the Technology Section of Global Industry News. He has an eye for detail, which helps him to present any news report with precision. Writing news pieces on diverse topics including artificial intelligence, IoT, virtual reality & augmented reality, and intelligent apps is his mastery. At the same time, his eye-catching personality and convincing communication skills help him to be the most popular personality on the floor.