Get a $500 Bonus on a $500 Deposit at BetUS!

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers NFL Week 8 Picks & Lines

Written by Jimmy Boyd

raiders chargers 102909 The 2-5 Oakland Raiders face off with the 3-3 San Diego Chargers in a Week 8 AFC West division battle this Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. Last week, the Raiders came back down to earth following an upset of the Eagles, getting pounded 38-0 by the Jets. The Chargers were on the other side of a rout, crushing division rival Kansas City 37-7. These teams have already met once this season. San Diego defeated Oakland 24-20 in their season opener, but the Raiders beat the spread. The Chargers have won 12 in a row in this matchup and NFL odds makers don’t see this streak being in any danger this week, listing the Chargers as 16.5-point favorites with the total set at 41.5.

Looking for a reliable book to bet your NFL picks? Start doing your NFL betting at Bookmaker where our readers get a special 20% cash sign up bonus!

JaMarcus Russell is hanging on to his starting position by a thread and he appears to be well on his way to joining the likes of Ryan Leaf as one of the NFL’s biggest QB busts of all time. Russell was benched last week after turning the ball over three times in the first half against the Jets. Different players respond differently to benchings. We saw how Donovan McNabb responded last season when he went on to lead the Eagles to the NFC championship game. We should be able to tell a lot about Russell after his performance this week.

I think it would be wise for the Raiders to get leading receiver tight end Zach Miller involved as much as possible. Miller leads all NFL tights with a 16-yard per catch average. Antonio Gates has been terrorizing the Raiders for years on the other side and it’s time the Raiders gave the Bolts a taste of their own medicine with Miller.

Defensively, Chris Johnson is going to have to play the game of his life to keep the San Diego offense in check. The Chargers figure to test Johnson consistently as opposed to challenging Pro Bowl corner Nnamdi Asomugha on the other side. If Johnson is up to the task, it will go a long way toward giving the Raiders a chance. It is worth noting that the Chargers are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six games as a home favorite of 10.5 or more points. If you think odds makers are spotting Oakland too many points, bet the Raiders at +16.5 at Bookmaker.

We know what the Chargers’ offense is capable of with its multiple weapons if the line protects Philip Rivers so I’m not going to focus on the offense this week. The key for San Diego to winning this game and covering the spread is its defense. The “D” finally showed up in Kansas City last week, holding the Chiefs to just 203 yards of total offense. With the way JaMarcus Russell has struggled, expect defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to stack the box against Oakland’s running game to force the Raiders to beat them through the air. If Oakland is forced to pass to move the football, it will allow the Chargers to go after Russell in hopes of forcing him into more turnovers. Don’t be surprised if Shaun Phillips has a big day as he has 9.5 sacks against Oakland in his career. It is worth noting that the Raiders are only 2-11 against the number in the last 13 meetings in this series. If you like San Diego to continue its dominance of the Raiders and cover the number in the process, bet the Chargers at -16.5 at Bookmaker.

Cruise to a big winning Sunday by signing up for Jimmy Boyd’s low-cost NFL expert picks package this week!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in: