Are you ready for some football? Some Monday Night football! The Oakland Raiders play host to the San Diego Chargers, Monday Sept 14, as LaDainian Tomlinson looks to improve after a dismal 2008 season. The Chargers lead the Raiders 10-0 since 2004. NFL odds makers at Sportsbook.com have the Chargers as -10.5 point road favs over the Raiders with the over/under listed at 42.5 points. Be sure to get your Monday Night Football: San Diego Chargers vs Oakland Raiders NFL Odds, NFL Picks & NFL Predictions in now at Sportsbetting.com
The Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson 2008 campaign was a slight disappointment by his lofty standards. He struggled to make quick cuts and change direction as he dealt with a toe injury, but with that fully healed, his explosion should return. That mixed with the superb arm of QB Phillip Rivers the Chargers are going to be a force to reckon with. QB Phillip Rivers had 34 TD’s after throwing for 4,009 yards. His offense but up the second most points in the league and they had the seventh best passing game. RB Darren Sproles was great last season and will be a dominant 1-2 punch with Tomlinson. These to runningbacks combined for 1,440 yards and 12 TD’s. WR Vincent Jackson and WR Chris Chambers are growing as wideouts and TE Antonio Gates is proving his worth. Their main group of receivers combined for 20 TD’s last season. On defense the Chargers success is focused on pressuring the quarterback. Without Shawne Merriman last year, the defense flopped and was exposed. With a healthy Merriman and the addition of first-round pick Larry English, the Chargers are going to get back to being a mean, feisty squad.
The Raiders fortunes this year fall on the backfield duo of the RB Darren McFadden and the QB JaMarcus Russell. Russell struggled through his first season, only occasionally showing flashes of his promise. He finished with 13 TD’s after throwing for 2,423 yards. The Raiders had no passing game and mostly relied on their running game led by RB Justin Fargas who had 218 carries for 853 yards and one TD. Last year’s first round draft pick RB Darren McFadden was supposed to be their main runner, but he turned out to be a flop with 113 carries for 499 yards and four TD’s. If McFadden develops into the dangerous number 1 running back he’s supposed to be, Russell will have a few more openings to throw the ball into. The defensive line needs to have a better year. Gerard Warren, Kalimba Edwards and Derrick Burgess can all be disruptive players when they are playing to their potential. They will need to be, to take the pressure off of a group of linebackers without many recognizable names.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Chargers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 meetings in Oakland.
- Chargers are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 meetings.
- Favorite is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 meetings.
- Under is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings.
- Raiders are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 Monday games.
- Raiders are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in Week 1.
Monday Night Football: San Diego Chargers vs Oakland Raiders
When: Mon, Sept 14, 2009 10:15 PM ET
Line: Sportsbetting.com
Pick: Chargers -10.5
Point-Spreads.com Monday Night Football: San Diego Chargers vs Oakland Raiders NFL Odds, NFL Picks & NFL Predictions
The Bottom Line: It’s going to be an all out air attack for Phillip Rivers tonight and expect the Chargers to test their running game. Be sure to get your Monday Night Football: San Diego Chargers vs Oakland Raiders Odds & Pick in now at Sportsbetting.com and cash in with sign-up bonuses, weekly reload bonuses and free payouts at SPORTSBETTING.com, where betting is safe, secure and easy.
