Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers: 3 bold predictions in Week 18

As the Las Vegas Raiders face the Los Angeles Chargers the stakes are clear: win and you’re in the playoffs. Here are three bold predictions for Sunday night’s AFC West matchup.

In true Las Vegas Raiders fashion, we’ve reached the season finale in Week 18 and many are pondering the question: how did we get here? Amid a plethora of adversity from an interim head coach, the loss of two former first-round picks on offense and defense, and nagging injuries to their best offensive player, the Raiders have managed to find themselves in contention for the playoffs.

As Las Vegas welcomes the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, the stakes are clear: win and you’re in.

The last instance these two rivals met each other came in Week 4 when the Chargers handed the Raiders their first loss of the season 28-14 at SoFi Stadium. Justin Herbert threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns as Los Angeles quickly built a 21-0 lead at halftime. Derek Carr nearly led the comeback with two passing touchdowns in the second half, but the Chargers early lead proved too much for Las Vegas to overcome.

Now three months later, Las Vegas has the opportunity to not only avenge their Week 4 loss but also punch a ticket to their first postseason appearance since 2016 (while sending their AFC West rival to an early offseason vacation).

Here are three bold predictions for Week 18’s AFC West rivalry matchup.