Raider Nation rarely cares about what the national media has to say about the Las Vegas Raiders. With that being said, it does appear that their team is going in as an underdog in the media’s eyes.
Today’s game is huge, and that’s putting it lightly at this point. Barring an upset in the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday Night Football will have major playoff implications. After surviving what can only be seen as a cataclysmic 2021 season, the Raiders control their destiny, nearing the finish line. Standing in their way is a hungry Los Angeles Chargers team that’s looking to get back into the playoffs themselves.
By now, most Raiders fans are accustomed to their team getting a bad rap. So, it shouldn’t surprise Raider Nation that many “experts” are going with the Bolts in Week 18.
Who are the experts picking?
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports chose Los Angeles, predicting a final score of 31-24 in favor of the Chargers. Prisco believes will do enough on offense with Justin Herbert at the helm to defeat the Silver and Black.
“This is a playoff game. The winner is in and the loser goes home — unless they tie. The Raiders surprised many by beating the Colts on the road, and they did it with their defense. That unit will be challenged here by Justin Herbert. I think the Chargers play well enough on offense to win this one. They get to the postseason.”
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Media had a similar sentiment to Prisco. He too believes in Herbert, going as far as saying he thinks that he’s a better quarterback than Raiders starter Derek Carr.
“I’m picking the Bolts because they are the better overall team with the better quarterback, but that feels overly logical.”
Rosenthal didn’t sound too confident in his pick interestingly enough. He cites that the only thing he’s sure about is how much “fun” this matchup will be. The people at USA Today also don’t give the Silver and Black much of a chance in this one. Other than one person in Jarrett Bell, their entire panel chose the Chargers. What are your thoughts on all this, Raider Nation?
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*Top Photo: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports