Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Betting odds, lines, picks and predictions

Expectations are high in Los Angeles as the 2022 NFL season gets fully underway. The Chargers are +1400, one of the six shortest prices on the odds board. They are also about a field-goal favorite against the new-look Las Vegas Raiders in the 1 p.m. PDT window Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-3.5, 52.5)

To say that the storylines are rich for this game would be an understatement. Justin Herbert’s last-second touchdown pass in the fourth quarter tied the Week 18 game against the Raiders and sent it to overtime. A tie meant that both teams would make it. The teams traded field goals in overtime and then the Raiders kicked a 47-yarder with no time left on the clock to win the game and send the Chargers home.

Brandon Staley’s decision to call a timeout prior to Josh Jacobs’ third-down run will live forever in Chargers infamy, but he has a chance at redemption here, and many believe that the team is poised for a big year. We might find out right away in this game against the Raiders, who hired Josh McDaniels and made an enormous splash by acquiring Davante Adams to be the No. 1 WR for Derek Carr.

Had the Raiders not greatly improved the roster, many would have been down on this team. The Raiders went 10-7, but were more like a 7-10 team when considering their -65 point differential. They won their final four games by 11 combined points to make the playoffs while going -5 in turnover margin.

Herbert is the co-third favorite to win the NFL MVP (+900) after having just the 14th 5,000-yard season in league history. With the offense in good shape, the expectation is that Staley, a former defensive coordinator, and the offseason additions, including Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson, will be enough to fix a unit that gave up 27 points per game and allowed the highest third-down conversion rate against in the league.

Perhaps that happens as the season goes along, but the offenses should both find success here. The Raiders should be more explosive with McDaniels and the defense has a tough first assignment against the Chargers. The side is a tough bet here in what could be a back-and-forth affair, but that should also lead to points.

Pick: Over 52.5

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.