Raiders vs. Chargers prediction: David Njoku steps up big for Los Angeles

· New York Post

The Chargers took a beating on the field in Week 1, and they’ve been taking a beating off of it for the past seven days.

That’s to be expected when a team loses outright as a near double-digit favorite against the Cardinals, who were projected to finish with the worst record in the NFL.

The Chargers will look to get into the win column in Week 2 against a Raiders team that also outperformed low expectations in Week 1.

Oddsmakers opened this line at Chargers -7, but bettors have pushed the line down to 6.5 over the course of the week.

Raiders vs. Chargers prediction, best bets

There were very high hopes for the Chargers on offense when they brought on former head coach Mike McDaniel to be their offensive coordinator, but none of those hopes were realized in Week 1.

L.A. finished with just 14 points in the game and was held scoreless in the fourth quarter in a game that looked very sloppy on their side.

Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers. Getty Images

Going into this week, Ladd McConkey’s status is up in the air after he suffered a rib injury, which puts even more pressure on quarterback Justin Herbert and the offense to turn things around.

If McConkey is out this week, or limited, that should open up opportunities for other receivers to step in and make plays, and David Njoku stands out as a player who could rise in this spot.

Njoku played 30 snaps against the Cardinals, tied for third most among Chargers receivers, and caught all five of his targets.

Betting on the NFL?

The Raiders didn’t give up a lot of points against the Dolphins, but they were vulnerable on big passes up the middle of the field.

I think we’ll see Herbert lean on Njoku heavily this week as the Chargers look to rebound.

The Pick: David Njoku 4+ receptions (+169, DraftKings)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.