There were two running backs in college football who were deemed worthy of being first-round draft choices this past year. Ashton Jeanty of Boise State was taken by the Las Vegas Raiders, while Omarion Hampton was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers. They are not incidential pieces; they are meant to be cornerstones of these respective franchises. 

And they will be on opposite sidelines on Monday night, when the Chargers and Raiders lock horns at Allegiant Stadium on the Strip, with a 10 PM ET kickoff. This is the second half of a doubleheader, with the Bucs-Falcons game as the first half. 

Both of these teams are seeking big opportunities in the AFC West. It’s possible by this time that the Kansas City Chiefs might be 0-2, since they are playing against Philadelphia. 

Both the Chargers and Raiders won their opening games. The Bolts were successful against the defending AFC champion Chiefs (27-21), while the Raiders scored a 20-13 victory over a rather sloppy New England club.

Monday Night NFL betting odds on the Chargers-Raiders game at BetOnline

The Chargers, on the road, are laying some points to the Silver and Black in Sin City: 

Los Angeles Chargers -3.5 (-101)
Las Vegas Raiders +3.5 (-119)

Over 46.5 Points -110
Under 46.5 Points -110

Bet at BetOnline

A new look with the Raiders

Without question, Las Vegas is seeing a different Raider team this year.  The “win now” philosophy adopted by owner Mark Davis included bringing in Tom Brady as a minor partner, Pete Carroll as head coach and subsequently, Geno Smith as the starting quarterback. The QB situation had been uncertain, so certainly that was addressed. And since this team was dead last in rushing in 2024, they had to meet that specific need head-on, which they did with Jeanty, who ran for 2601 yards and 29 TD’s in his junior season, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

While Smith was throwing for 362 yards, Jeanty didn’t do very much in the opener, carrying the ball 19 times for 38 yards, although he did score a touchdown. Needless to say, as we progress they’ll be looking to him a lot more.

And if their star tight end can’t make it, that will come sooner or later. Brock Bowers, who topped 100 receptions as a rookie, then had 103 yards against New England, got injured late in the game and did not practice during the week, although Carroll is hopeful that he’ll play. 

The problem with the Raiders is that defensively they aren’t new or fresh, and still have some major question marks in the secondary, which can be exploited by the opposing quarterback this week.

A new culture with the Chargers 

Jim Harbaugh came into the Chargers’ building and changed the way they looked at things. In his other coaching jobs, he had stressed a power ground game, with success. His team returned to the playoffs last year, although they finished only 17th in rushing. Harbaugh wanted to be more forceful along those lines, so the team drafted running back Omarion Hampton with the 22nd overall pick. 

In his last two years at North Carolina, Hampton gained 1504 and 1660 yards on the ground. He is an explosive type, who can go coast to coast at any time. In the backfield, he is joined by Najee Harris, so these Bolts are serious about their ground game. 

And in the 27-21 win over Kansas City last Friday, quarterback Justin Herbert was brilliant, with 318 yards, plus 32 on the ground, and three touchdown passes. 

Conclusion 

Losing left tackle Rashawn Slater was a tough break, but the Chargers have been able to plug that hole by moving Joe Alt to the left side and putting Trey Pipkins at right tackle. Mekhi Becton got back in the lineup after being sick. 

The Chargers will run more. And there is no question that Los Angeles has a better defensive unit (first in the NFL in points allowed last year) than the Raiders. 

In a slight lean, we’ll go with the Chargers, who are just more solid on an overall basis.

THE PLAY: CHARGERS -3.5 (-101)

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