Antonio Pierce’s outlook for the Raiders’ 2024 season
Antonio Pierce on Maxx Crosby, Gardner Minshew and Zamir White
The latest installment in the AFC West series between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders will kick off the first week of the 2024 season.
Antonio Pierce returns for his first full season as head coach of the Raiders after serving in the role on an interim basis for the final nine games of the 2023 season.
Guide: Coach Jim Harbaugh believes Chargers QB Justin Herbert could be one of the best in the NFL.
Jim Harbaugh has returned to the NFL and taken over as coach of the Chargers after a national championship season with Michigan.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is expected to return to play after returning to full practice. He enters his fifth season after battling a plantar fascia issue throughout training camp.
The Raiders used their first three draft picks on tight end Brock Bowers and two linemen to bolster their offense. Pierce selected veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew to lead an offense that averaged 19.5 points per game last season.
The Raiders defeated the Chargers 63-21 in their last meeting in December. The result led to the firing of then-Chargers coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. Telesco is now the Raiders’ GM.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Chargers vs. Raiders Week 1 matchup on Sunday:
Chargers vs. Raiders odds, moneyline, over/under
According to the BetMGM NFL odds, Los Angeles is the favorite to start the season with a win. Want to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps that offer NFL betting promotions in 2024, including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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Odds from Saturday
- Spread: Chargers (-3)
- Money line: Attacker (-160), Robber (+135)
- Over/Under: 40
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Odds, predictions and tips for the first NFL week
Ravens vs. Chiefs | Packers vs. Eagles | Jaguars vs. Dolphins | Vikings vs. Giants | Panthers vs. Saints | Patriots vs. Bengals | Titans vs. Bears | Cardinals vs. Bills | Texans vs. Colts | Raiders vs. Chargers | Broncos vs. Seahawks | Commanders vs. Buccaneers | Cowboys vs. Browns | Rams vs. Lions | Jets vs. 49ers
USA TODAY: Chargers 26, Raiders 21
Tyler Dragon writes: “It’s hard to imagine Jim Harbaugh losing his debut as head coach of the Chargers to a pesky but inferior Raiders team with veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew. There will be plenty of Raiders fans at SoFi Stadium (the Raiders are still the most popular team in LA even after leaving the city in 1994), but the Chargers will start the Harbaugh era 1-0. Khalil Mack had six sacks in a game against his former team last year.”
Desert Sun: Chargers 17, Raiders 10
James Ward writes: “This matchup will be a tough battle, but the Chargers have too much talent to lose to the rebuilding Raiders.”
Los Angeles Times: Chargers 24, Raiders 18
Sam Farmer writes: “Jim Harbaugh’s team will be tougher than last season and more balanced, with an improved running game. Which receiver will stand out? The Raiders are OK at quarterback, but are working on their weaknesses.”
Pro Football Network: Chargers 17, Raiders 13
Kyle Soppe writes, “A run-first offense means the Chargers should play relatively slow on offense. Combine that with the fact that they’re facing a Gardner Minshew II-led Las Vegas Raiders offense, and I like the shorthanded as the lowest total of the week.”
Orange County Register: Chargers 24, Raiders 14
Elliott Teaford writes: “(The Chargers) need to win to avenge last season’s 63-21 loss that led to the firing of Staley and GM Tom Telesco the next day. They need to prove that all their offseason work was worth it. But they really, really, really need the win to prove that their investment in Harbaugh was worth it.”
