Struggling AFC West teams Chargers and Raiders meet Thursday night in Las Vegas

Updated Dec. 13, 2023 6:03 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-8) at LAS VEGAS (5-8)

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime

OPENING LINE: Raiders by 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Chargers 5-8; Raiders 6-6-1.

SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead 67-58-2.

LAST MEETING: Chargers won 24-17 on Oct. 1 in Inglewood, California.

LAST WEEK: Chargers lost to Broncos 24-7; Raiders lost to Vikings 3-0.

CHARGERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (26), PASS (10), SCORING (16)

CHARGERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (16), PASS (29), SCORING (18).

RAIDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (32), PASS (22), SCORING (28).

RAIDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (25), PASS (11), SCORING (9).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Chargers plus-3; Raiders minus-10.

CHARGERS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Easton Stick. He is making his first NFL start after Justin Herbert suffered a broken index finger on his right end, which ended his season. Stick, a fifth-round pick by the Chargers in 2019, had only seen two snaps in a regular-season game until he came in with 1:52 remaining in the first half last Sunday against Denver. He completed 13 of 24 passes for 179 yards and led a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Nate Hobbs. He is the Raiders' highest-rated cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus, and Hobbs won't have to worry about defending one of the league's top receivers in Keenan Allen, who is out with a heel injury. Regardless, Las Vegas' pass defense is playing well, and Hobbs is a key reason.

KEY MATCHUP: Raiders offensive tackles vs. Chargers defensive end Khalil Mack. Jermaine Eluemunor gave up three sacks to Mack in the first meeting and Kolton Miller one. Mack had six sacks all together, and now faces a beaten-up Raiders offensive line. Miller has not played in three of the past four games because of a shoulder injury, and Eluemunor and Thayer Munford having been the starting tackles.

KEY INJURIES: Los Angeles: Allen (heel) is out. WR Joshua Palmer (knee) has been activated off injured reserve and is likely to play after missing the past five games. CB Deane Leonard (ankle/heel) will miss his third straight game. Las Vegas: C Andre James (ankle) and T Kolton Miller (shoulder) will not play. LB Kana’i Mauga (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday and will miss the game. WR Davante Adams (illness), DE Maxx Crosby (knee), RB Josh Jacobs (quadricep), DT Adam Butler (ankle) and CB Brandon Facyson (shin) are questionable.

SERIES NOTES: The Chargers as visitors have beaten the Raiders in 12 of the 19 meetings, but many of the games have been close. Ten of the previous 14 were decided by one score. Three of those games went to overtime. ... The Raiders have won two of three matchups in Las Vegas.

STATS AND STUFF: Chargers coach Brandon Staley is 6-9 against the AFC West, including a six-game road losing streak. ... RB Austin Ekeler had his fourth 100-yard scrimmage game of the season last week. ... WR Quentin Johnston has eight receptions for 143 yards in the past two games. ... LB Eric Kendricks reached 1,000 tackles last week, becoming the sixth active NFL player to reach that mark. ... P J.K. Scott had a franchise-record 83-yard punt last week. ... K Cameron Dicker has made 15 straight field goals and is 19 of 20 on the season. ... Raiders LB Robert Spillane is one of two players with at least three interceptions and three sacks. The other is Buffalo Bills LB Terrel Bernard. ... DE Maxx Crosby is the fourth player since 1987 to get at least 300 tackles and 50 sacks in his first five seasons. ... WR Davante Adams is four receptions from 80 this season, which would be his sixth in a row. It would be the second-longest active streak in the league and tied for seventh overall.

FANTASY TIP: Raiders defense. Las Vegas is ninth in scoring defense, and now the Raiders face a new quarterback taking over at a time when the Chargers have scored only 23 points over the past three games.

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