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Week 15 starts tonight, as two AFC West teams face off in what should be a high-scoring affair. The Las Vegas Raiders will host the Los Angeles Chargers in a matchup that has little meaning for the Chargers, but plenty for the Raiders.
The Chargers come into this matchup at 4-9 and out of the playoff race, while the Raiders are at 7-6, hanging by a thread to the playoff tapestry. The Raiders were in a similar position last season and shrank at the task, but the team appears to be improved enough to have a real shot at winning out and giving themselves a decent shot at a playoff berth.
With that being said, where are the bettors placing their money to begin Week 15? Let’s discuss it below! All the odds and info are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Point Spread
The Raiders are favored by 3 points heading into this Thursday Night Football matchup. The line has fallen from 3.5-points. The public are on the Raiders tonight, with 60 percent of the handle and 53 percent of the bets going their way.
Is the public right?
Yes. The Chargers have talent and are always hard to bet against, but betting against them is usually the best choice. There is no doubt this game can be close, which is a bad sign for the Chargers. Winning close games isn’t exactly their calling card.
When you factor in Anthony Lynn’s poor play calling and the Chargers inexplicably awful special teams, you don’t want a piece of the Chargers in a close matchup. The last time these two teams played, the Chargers almost pulled out the win. But almost is the operative word.
Even though there hasn’t been any noticeabl home-field advantage this season due to Covid-19 keeping the stands mostly empty, the Chargers are 1-5 on the road. And it is tough to get past this being a must-win game for the Raiders while the Chargers don’t have anything to play for. Add in that Mike Williams is out and Keenan Allen is hurting, and I’m on the Raiders and the points.
Over/Under
The point total for this Monday night contest is set at 53.5. As of now, 70% of the bets are siding with the over, along with 69% of the handle.
Is the public right?
Yes. The Raiders defense is awful while the Chargers defense is on the edge of awful. Maybe the firing of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther gives the Raiders a little juice defensively, but they still are lacking in good players. So far this season, Raiders games have gone over 75 percent of the time, which is the highest in the league. The Chargers aren’t as high, but are still at 53.8 percent on the over, which is tied for ninth highest in the league.
The Chargers injury issues are a little concerning, but they should have Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen available against the Raiders ineffective defense.
Moneyline
The Raiders moneyline odds are at -162, with the Chargers’ odds coming in at +140. Of the moneyline bets placed for this game, Las Vegas is seeing 59 percent of the bets and 69 percent of the handle.
Is the public right?
Yes. The question is, how confident are we at -162 odds? That gives us a payout of $6.17 on a 10 dollar bet. I’m not quite that confident, so I’ll stick with the line and risk it for the biscuit.
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