Chargers vs Raiders Free Pick, NFL Free Picks, NFL Predictions 9/15/25
- J.A. Cavalier
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
LA CHARGERS @ LAS VEGAS (LAC -3.5, 46.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
CHARGERS @ RAIDERS 9/15/25
After opening his season with a prime-time performance, Justin Herbert now gets the opportunity to shine on the Monday night stage. When the Los Angeles Chargers play their AFC West rival Raiders in Week 2, Herbert, who performed brilliantly in Brazil, will attempt to put on another spectacular show in Las Vegas.
In the first game, Herbert outperformed Patrick Mahomes, passing for 318 yards and three touchdowns in a 27–21 victory over the Chiefs. Additionally, he made the game-winning play just before the two-minute warning when he scurried for 19 yards on third-and-14.
According to Chargers tight end Tyler Conklin, "Justin is one hell of a football player," he told reporters. "Just about everything he is capable of... I can't claim to have ever played with someone who could simply use his arm and feet to control a game like that."
"We went out there and executed and did what we wanted to," Herbert said. It was amazing to watch the plays that the guys made.
As the second season of the Jim Harbaugh era begins, Los Angeles (1-0) has great expectations. However, new Raiders coach Pete Carroll, who had a falling out with Harbaugh, is desperate to keep the Chargers from winning. When Harbaugh was revitalizing Stanford and Carroll was coaching at Southern California, the conflict was at its height. Harbaugh won two of the three meetings between the coaches.
Before USC triumphed at Stanford the following season, the visiting Cardinal stunned the top-ranked Trojans, who were favored by 41 points, in 2007. The Cardinal then thrashed USC 55-21 in Los Angeles in 2009, with Harbaugh never taking his foot off the pedal.
When Carroll's Seattle Seahawks defeated Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers 23–17 in the 2013 season's NFC Championship, he got some NFL retribution.
"I recall Jim. "I don't remember anything good," Carroll stated on Thursday. "... There have been great games."
Harbaugh knows the plot very well.
According to Harbaugh, "that's expected and pretty well documented," "He is among the greatest coaches. Much respect. I've always believed that we would have been close friends if I had ever played for him or on one of his teams.
Carroll concurred after being informed of the latter remark, stating that their intense rivalry would have allowed them to get along.
Naturally, a player will decide the result on Monday, and the Raiders (1-0) are hoping for a second consecutive outstanding performance from quarterback Geno Smith. Smith was acquired in the offseason from the Seahawks, where he played for Carroll and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022–2023. In Week 1's 20–13 victory over the New England Patriots, Smith passed for 362 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Smith stated, "That's how we want to play football," in reference to the aerial assault. "We want to ensure that the readings we make are accurate. I want to make sure that I'm putting the ball in the hands of the playmakers and making the right choices. We can capitalize on the fact that we have many excellent players."
One such player is All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, who had five receptions for 103 yards against the Patriots before he was sidelined due to a knee injury. Bowers is questionable for tonight. Raiders' linebacker Elandon Roberts missed practice on Thursday due to an elbow injury. Linebackers Del'Shawn Phillips (toe) and Denzel Perryman (ankle) did not practice for the Chargers. Tarheeb Still (calf) and Elijah Molden (hamstring) were sidelined.
In his NFL debut, Las Vegas rookie running back Ashton Jeanty only managed 38 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Last season, the Chargers swept the Raiders for the first time since 2018.
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JUSTIN HERBERT OVER 252.5 PASSING YARDS
Herbert started the season with 318 yards against Kansas City. If you go back to last season, Herbert has gone Over tonight’s passing yards prop in 4 of his last 5 games. He averaged 284.8 yards in those five games. After one game, the Raiders defense ranks 27th against the pass. In the Week 1 win, Herbert completed 73.5 percent of his passes. Playing in the dome in Vegas, Herbert will be in the right environment to clear this number tonight.
