The Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders will do battle in one of the Thursday Night Football games of all time. Easton Stick will start for the Chargers, while Aidan O’Connell is expected to start for the Raiders. Let’s dive into the best Chargers-Raiders player prop picks and anytime touchdown scorer bets for Thursday Night Football, including an Austin Ekeler pick. Take a look at OddsShopper’s model for the most up-to-date odds and additional picks — make sure to use promo code “ISIROIS” to save 20% at checkout!
Chargers-Raiders Player Props & Anytime Touchdown Bet | Thursday
Thursday Night Football Odds
Odds via bet365
Chargers: +140 | Raiders: -165
Chargers +3: -110 | Raiders -3: -110
Over 34.5: -110 | Under 34.5: -110
Time: Thursday, Dec. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Chargers-Raiders Player Prop Pick
Khalil Mack Prop O/U 0.5 Sacks
Pardon? Khalil Mack had six sacks the last time he faced the Las Vegas Raiders. Now the Raiders’ left tackle, Kolton Miller, is out. Replacing him is the steady but less impressive swing tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, who is directly responsible for five sacks in 650 snaps. Mack ranks 15th in pressures (28) but leads the league in sacks (15), which means he has been unsustainably efficient. Still, against a line he roasted for six sacks just weeks ago — and against a less experienced quarterback — I expect big things from the superstar.
The Raiders haven’t committed to a quarterback but it sounds like Aidan O’Connell will start — albeit on a short leash. O’Connell is the most mobile of head coach Antonio Pierce’s options, as neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Brian Hoyer add much with their legs, so he could get away from some of Mack’s pressures. Still, O’Connell started Las Vegas’ last game against the Chargers and went down seven times. He is averaging two sacks taken per game since then. I’m wagering enough to secure a half-unit return at odds of -160 (61.5%).
Chargers-Raiders Player Prop Pick: Khalil Mack Over 0.5 Sacks -160 at ESPNBet
Chargers-Raiders Anytime Touchdown Scorer Pick
Running back Austin Ekeler is not having a good season. The 28-year-old is averaging only 3.65 yards per rush and 49.7 rushing yards per game. That’s down from the 4.5 and 53.8 he recorded last year.
He has regressed less as a receiver, averaging 9.6 yards per reception (up from 6.7) but 34.4 per game (down from 42.5). But with Keenan Allen listed as out of Thursday night’s contest, Ekeler should see his volume in the passing game increase substantially.
Allen has dominated the red-zone touches for Los Angeles this year. The veteran wideout accounts for only 12 targets inside the 20 (19% of L.A.’s total) but 11 inside the 10 (27.5%). Ekeler has recorded eight inside the 20 (12.7%) but only two inside the 10 (5%).
Ekeler scored eight touchdowns in seven games with Allen sidelined last year. While he had the benefit of playing alongside star quarterback Justin Herbert, who is also out for this one, five of those scores came on the ground.
Ekeler remains the highest-usage back in the red zone when it comes to carries. He has tallied 26 inside the 20 (45.6%) but 21 inside the 10 (58.3%) and 12 inside the five (60%). His anytime touchdown odds are trading between +110 (47.2%) at Caesars and +160 (38.5%) at FanDuel. I’m a fan of anything with implied odds south of 40%, so lock in this one at FanDuel for a half-unit wager before the value evaporates.
Chargers-Raiders Anytime Touchdown Scorer Bet: Austin Ekeler +160 at FanDuel
OddsShopper’s NFL Tools & Tips
Looking for more 2023 NFL predictions? OddsShopper’s experts are here to break down this NFL season — make sure to check out the rest of our NFL articles, including our power rankings and division previews. Still need more picks? Subscribe to OddsShopper Premium for our market-based betting model’s picks and best bets — or try it out for Week 15 now!
