LAS VEGAS (1-2) at LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (1-2)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, CBS
BETTING LINE: Chargers by 5 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Raiders 1-2; Chargers 1-2.
SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead 68-57-2.
LAST MEETING: Raiders beat Chargers 27-20 on Dec. 4, 2022, in Las Vegas.
LAST WEEK: Raiders lost to Steelers 23-18; Chargers beat Vikings 28-24.
RAIDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (32), PASS (14), SCORING (T-29).
RAIDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (21), PASS (15), SCORING (24).
CHARGERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (13), PASS (7), SCORING (T-5).
CHARGERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (15), PASS (32), SCORING (28).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Raiders minus-7 (T-31); Chargers plus-3 (T-7).
RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Josh Jacobs. He showed signs of getting going in the fourth quarter last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jacobs broke off runs of 10 and 9 yards on back-to-back carries. Does that mean he’s back? Probably not, but it was one of the few signs of the old Jacobs this season. The Raiders need that guy in the lineup.
CHARGERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Keenan Allen. The 11-year veteran has put together the best two-game stretch of his prolific career, catching 26 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee and Minnesota. He had a career-high 215 yards receiving at the Vikings and also threw a 49-yard touchdown pass. However, Allen has just one 100-yard performance in his past 10 games against the Raiders.
KEY MATCHUP: Raiders secondary vs. Chargers QB Justin Herbert. Las Vegas has struggled in trying to stop the pass the past two weeks, including allowing Steelers second-year QB Kenny Pickett to throw for 235 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Even without WR Mike Williams, who tore his ACL in Minnesota and is out for the season, Herbert has to be licking his chops after totaling 939 yards and six touchdowns without a pick through three weeks. If the CB tandem of Marcus Peters and rookie Jakorian Bennett and S duo of Marcus Epps and Tre’von Moehrig cannot hold up in coverage, it will be a long afternoon for the Raiders.
KEY INJURIES: QB Jimmy Garoppolo is in concussion protocol. If he doesn’t play, the Raiders will turn to 15-year veteran Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O’Connell. … RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) and LB Eric Kendricks (hamstring) each look to be on track to play for the Chargers after missing the past two games. But as they prepare for a possible return, S Derwin James Jr. (hamstring), LB Kenneth Murray Jr. (groin) and S Alohi Gilman (heel) could all be sidelined. With a bye week next week, Los Angeles could exercise caution with any of its injured players.
SERIES NOTES: The Raiders and Chargers have split the season series in each of the past two years, with the home team winning all four games in that stretch. … The Chargers are 2-1 against the Raiders at SoFi Stadium, winning both games with fans in attendance. The inaugural meeting in Inglewood, California, — a 31-26 victory for the Raiders on Nov. 8, 2020 — was played in an empty building because of COVID-19 restrictions. … Raiders coach Josh McDaniels is 2-3 against the Chargers in his career.
STATS AND STUFF: Las Vegas WR Davante Adams is six catches from 800. He would become the 13th player in NFL history to hit that mark in the first 10 seasons. Adams also is 41 yards short of 10,000 receiving yards. He would be one of 15 to reach that figure in his first decade. … WR Jakobi Meyers is 76 yards from 3,000 receiving yards. Only 10 other undrafted players have ever reached that mark. … DE Maxx Crosby is half a sack from 40. … The Raiders have not created a takeaway this season. Peters had a pick-6 in his hands against the Steelers, but dropped the potential interception. … WR Hunter Renfrow caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns two years ago. Through three games this season, he has three receptions for 40 yards and no TDs. … The Raiders are two victories from becoming the 10th team to reach 500 wins in a franchise’s history. … Allen’s 18 receptions against the Vikings set a Chargers single-game record. … Rookie OLB Tuli Tuipulotu had seven quarterback pressures of Minnesota's Kirk Cousins. It was the second most in a game this season, trailing T.J. Watt’s nine for Pittsburgh against San Francisco. … OLB Joey Bosa has 9 1/2 sacks against the Raiders, notching at least one in eight of his 10 games against them. … TE Donald Parham Jr. has three touchdowns among his six receptions this season. Since his rookie season in 2020, Parham is averaging a touchdown every 4.6 catches, the best ratio of any NFL player with at least 40 receptions in that span. … Herbert has not thrown an interception in his past 213 pass attempts. The streak is the longest in team history. It also marks the first time in his NFL career Herbert has gone five consecutive games without a pick.
FANTASY TIP: With Williams out for the season, Chargers WR Joshua Palmer becomes a high-upside WR3 after four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Rookie WR Quentin Johnston needs to be rostered following the injury to Williams, but hold off on using the first-round pick from TCU until his role moving forward becomes more defined.
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