Chargers vs. Raiders 2015 picks and predictions: Oakland heavily favored in Charles Woodson’s home sendoff

NFL fans get a rare holiday treat this season -- a game on Christmas Eve. The Thursday Night Football season finale features the Oakland Raiders hosting the San Diego Chargers in an AFC West grudge match.

This game doesn’t have any playoff implications, with the Raiders officially eliminated from contention last Sunday. However, there are still some compelling storylines, the biggest of which is Charles Woodson’s final home game.

Woodson announced earlier in the week that he will retire after this season, so seeing him in front of the Black Hole for the last time is sure to be an emotional moment. Woodson built a Hall of Fame case that’s as airtight as any player -- the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner is tied for fifth all-time with 65 interceptions, made the Pro Bowl eight times and was named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2000s Team. He finally won his Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers in 2010, and came home to Oakland three years later. At 39 years old, Woodson is still playing at a high level this year, with five interceptions and nine passes defended.

The Raiders will miss Woodson, but there’s little doubt that he left Oakland in a better place than it was when he came back in 2012. With Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Latavius Murray and Khalil Mack all entrenched as franchise cornerstones, the Raiders have legitimate hope for the first time in years. They came up short this year with a 6-8 record, but they’ll surely be one of the top sleeper teams in 2016.

As for the Chargers, things are far less rosy. With the stadium situation not close to being resolved, they treated last week’s game like the final one at Qualcomm Stadium. There’s not much to play for at 4-10, other than pride and the chance to spoil Woodson’s sendoff against a division rival.

Not surprisingly, the Raiders are heavy favorites in this one. All eight writers at CBS Sports are picking them, as well as seven of eight here at SB Nation.