The Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers are both struggling to stay relevant in a division that has a clear front runner in the Denver Broncos. The AFC West has been dominated by the Broncos since Peyton Manning came to town, and while the Kansas City Chiefs have made it close a season or two, neither the Raiders nor the Chargers have put up much of a fight.
NFL picks and predictions, Raiders vs. Chargers 2015: San Diego favored in AFC West rivalry
Philip Rivers and the Chargers should avoid a third consecutive loss on Sunday, according to experts.
Both teams are trying to avoid a third consecutive loss on Sunday. The Raiders are traveling to San Diego for the first of two divisional matchups this year, and if recent history is anything to go by, the Chargers have a leg up. They have beaten the Raiders the last three times they played. But so far this year, neither team has done much to inspire confidence.
Oakland has fallen to the Chicago Bears and Broncos since winning two consecutive games in Week 3 and Week 4. Starting quarterback Derek Carr looks like the franchise guy the Raiders want him to be, and he's developing a solid connection with rookie first-round pick Amari Cooper. Carr has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,171 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
Cooper has 28 receptions for 386 yards and two touchdowns, while offseason pickup Michael Crabtree has 318 yards and a touchdown.
They’ll be facing a San Diego defense that ranks No. 17 in the league overall, and 13th against the pass. It’s not going to be an easy task. Meanwhile, Oakland’s No. 11-ranked defense will be up against the league’s most productive offense from a yardage standpoint. The Chargers has 2,078 passing yards on the year, enough to put them on top in overall yardage despite being 26th in the league at running the football.
Unfortunately for Philip Rivers and the Chargers, all of those yards haven't translated into points. The Chargers rank No. 15 in the league with 22.4 points per game, well below the league-leading New England Patriots at 36.6 points per game.
That hasn’t prevented experts from around the Internet from picking the Chargers to win the game. Over at CBS Sports, all eight of their experts are going with the Chargers to win it. At ESPN, there’s some love for the Raiders, but not much.
There’s not much of a split here at SB Nation, either. Only Stephen White has any confidence in the Raiders, with the other seven experts picking the Chargers.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark Computer | |
| OAK vs. SD | SD | OAK | SD | SD | SD | SD | SD | SD |
See More:
