Whoa. Somebody’s pass defense will have one QB smiling in Chargers-Raiders Thursday | Opinion
NFL WEEK 10
GREG COTE’S THURSDAY PICK
CHARGERS (4-5) at RAIDERS (4-4)
Line: LAC by 1.
Cote’s pick: LAC 23-20.
TV: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Fox/NFL.
These games are rare. Maybe one every few weeks? I mean matchups I see as so close you could flip a coin and I’ d be OK with either result. This AFC West duel to kick-off Week 10 is one of those. That both teams are unreliably erratic underlines the quandary, and my waffling. Philip Rivers should carve up Oakland’s pliable secondary. But shouldn’t rookie-of-the-year frontrunner Josh Jacobs do the same to LAC’s shaky run-D? [Notable sidelight that TV’s talking heads figure to be chewing dog-on-bone: The vehemently denied report that the Bolts may be relocating to (!) London]. We enjoyed a big Week 9 -- 11-3 straight-up, 8-5-1 vs. the spread -- and need a big start here. Chargers have won three straight in series and bring a clearly superior all-round defense. If the team that last week comfortably handled Green Bay is kind enough to show up again (please?), give us L.A. south of the over/under.
