The Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers played in one of the most memorable regular-season finales ever, with the Raiders outbattling the Chargers for the final AFC Wild Card spot. The entire AFC West had an arms race this offseason as a result of last season’s developments, which should make Sunday’s rematch between these heated rivals one of the must-watch games on Week 1’s slate.

Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with the latest news, NFL odds, and special features for the entire duration of the 2022 NFL season. This time, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Week 1 divisional showdown between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Raiders vs. Chargers Game Information

on deck. pic.twitter.com/xvMXytw75l

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 8, 2022

• When: Sunday, September 11, 2022, 4:25 PM ET
• Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
• TV: CBS
• Radio: Raider Nation 920AM (Raiders) // KYSR 98.7 FM (Chargers)
• Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
• NFL Odds: Raiders (+3.5) // Chargers (-3.5)

READ MORE: Giants vs. Titans 2022 NFL Week 1 Odds, Preview & Pick

Why Bet on the Las Vegas Raiders?

Despite all the off-field turmoil between head coach Jon Gruden’s firing and the arrest of wide receiver Henry Ruggs, the Las Vegas Raiders still managed to defy the odds by making the postseason in the very last game of the 2021 season. Although the Silver and Black suffered an early playoff exit, this only motivated them to make another strong push for the Lombardi Trophy in 2022.

The biggest free-agent signing that Vegas made is none other than Green Bay’s All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, who is now reunited with his college teammate and fellow Fresno State alum, Derek Carr. Adams gives Carr a top-tier receiving threat as the Raiders appear to have one of the more potent receiving corps along with Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. Carr set a new career-high in passing yards last season (4,804), which further reinforces the notion that Vegas’ offense is for real.

The Raiders’ defense should also see a significant improvement on defense with the arrival of defensive end Chandler Jones. The two-time First-Team All-Pro selection forced six fumbles in 2021 and has had double-digit sacks in seven of his 10 seasons in the NFL, as the pairing of Jones and fellow DE Maxx Crosby (25 sacks in three seasons as a pro) looks to be the best pas-rushing combo in the league.

Why Bet on the Los Angeles Chargers?

Had it not been for a clock-management gaffe on the part of head coach Brandon Staley, the Los Angeles Chargers likely would’ve joined the Raiders in last year’s postseason if their Week 18 clash to remember had ended in a tie instead. Who could forget starting quarterback Justin Herbert’s quote “I never wanted a tie so bad” on the sidelines?

Herbert won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2020 and followed that strong debut up with an even better sophomore outing of 5,014 passing yards and 38 passing TDs to just 15 interceptions. In turn, the Bolts averaged 390.2 yards per game (fourth in the NFL) and 27.9 points per contest last season (fifth overall).

To keep pace with the rest of their AFC West rivals, the Chargers also made one big move to bolster its questionable defense from the prior year by signing former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack as another pass-rushing threat alongside Joey Bosa. Throw in All-Pro safety Derwin James into the mix coming off a banner 2021 season (75 solo tackles, 10 INTs) and Los Angeles’ once-ridiculed defense looks much better than what it once was.

Raiders vs. Chargers Betting Trends

• The Raiders went 6-3 at home last season (4-5 ATS).
• The Raiders are 4-2 in the last six meetings against Los Angeles (SU/ATS).
• The totals went over in three of the last five games between these two AFC West rivals.
• The Chargers went 5-4 at home last season (4-5 ATS).
• The Bolts are 6-5 in the last 11 games as favorites to win (5-6 ATS).
• The totals went over in five of the last six Chargers home games.

Raiders vs. Chargers Expert Betting Predictions

Herbert is clearly the better quarterback over Carr in this matchup, which would suggest that the easy money is on the Chargers. However, as we’ve just witnessed last season and in the betting trends above, it’s been the Raiders who’ve come out on top of their recent meetings. It all comes down to who has the better defensive performance on Sunday, and it appears that the Bolts do have the slight edge in this matchup as well.

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*All stated odds are subject to change without prior notice.