Mad Bets: Will the Raiders cover -3.5 vs. Chargers?
Minty Bets, Matt Gothard & Jared Quay give their picks for the Chargers-Raiders game on Thursday Night.
Video Transcript
MINTY BETS: The Las Vegas Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers in this week's Thursday Night Football game. The Raiders are 3 and 1/2 point favorites and total set at 53 points. I'm here with Matt Gothard and Jared Quay here to give us their best bets for Thursday's game. Matt, let's start with you. Who do you like?
MATT GOTHARD: I can't imagine really having a good feeling around this game, and I can't really imagine betting on either of these teams. But let's just say you worked at a place like Yahoo where they made you bet on every primetime game. You had to have a pick.
I probably would lean for the Chargers here, plus 3 and 1/2 against the Raiders. That's because the writers got smoked last week by the Colts. They should have lost to the worst team in the NFL, the Jets. And the week before that, they got smoked by probably the second worst team in the Falcons.
So I'm definitely going to take the Chargers. I know they have some major problems in the coaching area, but I don't think that that's enough for me to start laying points with this Raiders team here. I'm closing my eyes, and I'm throwing a dart out there.
MINTY BETS: Yikes. OK. Jared, who do you like in this?
JARED QUAY: Oh, I'm with Gothard 100%. The Chargers are the best bet for this game. Well, only because there's several reasons, all right? I love to get value. I think people are overrating the Raiders.
They had a really good beginning of the season. But if you watched your last games, their defense has some real problems with them. That only plus the side that the Chargers are-- they've been a good team. Their record doesn't indicate it, but a lot of those games they were leading big against some good teams. And they found a way to lose.
But even with them finding a way to lose, it's hard to lose by four points. So they may find a way to lose by 3, and that way I'm in the money. And that's what I like there. And, obviously, this Raiders team just-- I mean, they're ready to pack it in. They're clearly out of the playoffs now, so I don't see them having a lot of fight to pull this one out.
MINTY BETS: Hmm. Well, I mean, I might be a little biased, but I like the Raiders here. I feel like the Chargers are like the West Coast versions of the Atlanta Falcons in terms of like blowing leads, and keeping things close, and not covering the spread.
But I mean, the Raiders need to win this one. And luckily, they're going up against the Chargers this week, who have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league. And the Raiders have won and covered in their last three match-ups against the Chargers. So give me the Raiders minus 3 and 1/2.
MATT GOTHARD: Well, if the Chargers are the West Coast version of the Atlanta Falcons, they're going to beat the Raiders by 50 as well.
JARED QUAY: Hey.
[LAUGHTER]
