The San Diego Chargers are not in the good graces of people who bet on NFL as they get ready to visit the Oakland Raiders at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on Sunday, October 9th. Here are the betting sportsbook odds for the game:
Chargers +3½ (-110) 50 (-110) +156
Raiders -3½ (-110) 50 (-110) -176
The Chargers (1-3) turned the ball over at critical times and squandered a 34-21 lead against the New Orleans Saints. San Diego appeared to be on top of things, scoring on three straight possessions before halftime. Then QB Philip Rivers directed a 14-play, 74-yard scoring drive that culminated in running back Melvin Gordon’s second 1-yard scoring run of the game to put the Chargers ahead 31-21 lead with 12:15 left to play.
Rivers kept things going with a precise 16-yard pass to wide receiver Tyrell Williams to the Saints 7-yard line. Rivers finished 28 of 43 for 321 yards with TD passes to Dontrell Inman and Hunter Henry. However, running back Melvin Gordon and receiver Travis Benjamin lost fumbles that resulted in scores by the Saints, who turned the tables 35-34. Finally, Rivers was intercepted with 1:10 remaining.
The Raiders (3-1) handed the Baltimore Ravens their first loss of the season, 28-27. Oakland QB Derek Carr threw 25 of 35 for 199 yards, including three scoring passes to wide receiver Michael Crabtree, which in turn included the go-ahead TD with 2:12 to play. Crabtree had seven receptions for 88 yards. The Raiders have won their first three away games from the first time since the 2002 season.
Sunday’s game will feature a clash between two of the top three rated quarterbacks in the league. Carr is 104 of 153 for 1066 passing yards and 9 TDs with a 104.6 passer rating. Carr has thrown only one interception, but will face a Chargers defense that ranks second in the league in interceptions (6). Carr has led a couple of fourth-quarter rallies this season, and San Diego has wasted a fourth-quarter lead three times this season. Fans who bet on NFL can easily do the math on that one. On the other hand, Rivers is 96 of 142 for 1110 passing yards and seven TDs, with a 104.5 passer rating.
The wild card in this equation could be Melvin Gordon, who leads the league with six TD runs and could be an all-day long headache for the Raiders 30th-ranked rush defense. Speaking of defense, Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa – not related to Joey Zasa – could finally be making his long-awaited debut this weekend against Oakland, but CB Jason Verret is out for the rest of the season and Brandon Flowers might not be available on Sunday with a concussion, casting some serious doubt as to whether San Diego will be able to disrupt the Raiders passing game.
All things considered, Oakland is the favorite of people who bet on NFL to get the team’s first home game win, while the Chargers hope to achieve some staying power and fix the performance anxiety issues that have plagued them this season.