Raiders vs. Chargers 2022: Odds, Prediction, Playoff Scenarios For Week 18 Game

The biggest game on the Week 18 schedule is the regular-season finale between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. The AFC West rivals will almost certainly be vying for the final spot in the 2022 NFL playoff picture when they meet at Allegiant Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.”

The Chargers' only chance to make the playoffs is by beating or tying the Raiders. Las Vegas technically has a few playoff scenarios, but it’s highly unlikely that the Raiders can clinch the last AFC wild-card spot without defeating the Chargers. Las Vegas would need a loss from the Indianapolis Colts, who are 15-point favorites against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The betting odds suggest that Los Angeles has the edge on the road. The Chargers are three-point favorites at most sportsbooks. The betting total is 49.

Both teams enter Week 18 with a 9-7 record, but Los Angeles owns the tiebreaker because it beat Las Vegas early in the 2022 season. The Chargers defeated the Raiders 28-14 in a Week 4 matchup that wasn’t particularly close.

L.A. outgained Las Vegas by 167 yards in the victory. Justin Herbert completed 25 of his 38 attempts for 222 yards and three touchdowns. Derek Carr’s very early MVP candidacy was derailed when the Chargers limited him to 196 yards, two scores and one interception on 5.8 yards per attempt.

Las Vegas started the season 3-0 before losing in Los Angeles. The Raiders nearly fell out of the playoff race by losing five times from Week 9-14. A three-game winning streak has put Las Vegas on the edge of the playoff picture.

The Chargers have suffered their share of setbacks that prevented them from clinching a postseason berth before the last week of the season. Los Angeles has been upset by three non-playoff teams since Week 10. The Chargers ended a two-game losing streak in Week 17 with a 34-13 win over the Denver Broncos.

Tight end Darren Waller is expected to return for the Raiders after missing five games. Las Vegas’ offense has struggled in his absence, though other factors have contributed. Since head coach Jon Gruden and receiver Henry Ruggs left the team midseason, the Raiders have had trouble scoring points.

The Raiders are averaging 17.7 points per game over their last nine contests. Las Vegas has scored more than 17 points just twice during that stretch. In the first two games of their three-game winning streak, the Raiders totaled 33 points and defeated a pair of backup quarterbacks.

That kind of offensive production won’t be enough to beat the Chargers, who rank sixth in points per game (27.6) and yards per play (6.0). Los Angeles has scored fewer than 20 points just once in its last 14 games.

Herbert is third in the NFL with 4,631 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. In three career starts against the Raiders, Herbert has seven touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 110.8 passer rating.

Los Angeles has played poorly on defense in large part because of its inability to stop the run. Las Vegas ranks 29th in both total rushing yards and yards per carry. Raiders leading rusher Josh Jacobs had 13 carries for 40 yards against the Chargers in Week 4.

Carr has nine touchdown passes and nine interceptions in the last nine games. The quarterback has one triple-digit passer rating during that stretch.

The Chargers are the better team, and they should prove it by grabbing the final playoff spot over the Raiders.

Prediction: Los Angeles over Las Vegas, 30-23