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The San Diego Chargers feel they have a team capable of winning a Super Bowl. They start their run for Lombardi Monday night against division rival Oakland at McAfee Coliseum in the second game of ESPN’s Monday Night Football double header. While Oakland leads the all-time series 54-42-2, it has lost 11 straight, most recently going down 34-7 last December. NFL odds makers feel San Diego will make it 12 straight, listing the Chargers as a 9.5-point favorite with the total set at 43.
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The Chargers have won three straight AFC West titles and appear poised to make it four in a row, but it would not be wise to take the Raiders lightly in this Week 1 matchup. After 11 straight defeats at the hands of the Chargers, we can expect Oakland to be leaving it all out on the field, especially in front of its rowdy home crowd. Plus, the storied Silver and Black always seem to rise to the occasion when in the Monday Night spotlight, holding a 15-6 all-time record on Monday Night Football when playing at home. Over the last couple seasons, the Raiders have been trying to break in quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and it appears he’s starting to adapt to the NFL game when you consider his solid play down the stretch last season. The team is hoping to see he and running back Darren McFadden make big leaps in 2009. McFadden was hampered by a turf toe injury in his rookie season, forcing him to miss games and taking away his burst. Both figure to be challenged by what is expected to be a stiff San Diego defense. If you think Oakland has what it takes to keep this one close on the Monday night stage, bet the Raiders at +9.5 at BetUS.
The Chargers managed to squeak out the AFC West division in 2008 and went on to win a playoff game, but by and large, the team considers last year’s campaign a disappointing one. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates dealt with nagging injuries and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman missed nearly the entire season with a knee injury. All three players are 100 percent heading into the season. Well, at least physically. Merriman may not be all there mentally as he is dealing with allegations that he choked reality star Tila Tequila. There are also questions as to whether he will be as explosive as he was prior to the knee injury. This week, fellow linebacker Shaun Phillips should have Merriman’s back, though. He has 9.5 career sacks against Oakland which is the most he has against any team. LaDainian Tomlinson will be the guy I focus on in this matchup. His numbers still turned out pretty decent last season, but if you watched him play you could tell how much his toe injury was limiting him. It will be interesting to see if his sharp cutting ability and explosiveness fully return this season. If not, quarterback Philip Rivers proved that he can win games with his arm. And the Chargers would likely have to get more creative with the offense, making it a priority to get Darren Sproles the ball in a variety of ways.
Bet your NFL picks at BetUS this season and get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!
The Chargers have won three straight AFC West titles and appear poised to make it four in a row, but it would not be wise to take the Raiders lightly in this Week 1 matchup. After 11 straight defeats at the hands of the Chargers, we can expect Oakland to be leaving it all out on the field, especially in front of its rowdy home crowd. Plus, the storied Silver and Black always seem to rise to the occasion when in the Monday Night spotlight, holding a 15-6 all-time record on Monday Night Football when playing at home. Over the last couple seasons, the Raiders have been trying to break in quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and it appears he’s starting to adapt to the NFL game when you consider his solid play down the stretch last season. The team is hoping to see he and running back Darren McFadden make big leaps in 2009. McFadden was hampered by a turf toe injury in his rookie season, forcing him to miss games and taking away his burst. Both figure to be challenged by what is expected to be a stiff San Diego defense. If you think Oakland has what it takes to keep this one close on the Monday night stage, bet the Raiders at +9.5 at BetUS.
The Chargers managed to squeak out the AFC West division in 2008 and went on to win a playoff game, but by and large, the team considers last year’s campaign a disappointing one. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates dealt with nagging injuries and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman missed nearly the entire season with a knee injury. All three players are 100 percent heading into the season. Well, at least physically. Merriman may not be all there mentally as he is dealing with allegations that he choked reality star Tila Tequila. There are also questions as to whether he will be as explosive as he was prior to the knee injury. This week, fellow linebacker Shaun Phillips should have Merriman’s back, though. He has 9.5 career sacks against Oakland which is the most he has against any team. LaDainian Tomlinson will be the guy I focus on in this matchup. His numbers still turned out pretty decent last season, but if you watched him play you could tell how much his toe injury was limiting him. It will be interesting to see if his sharp cutting ability and explosiveness fully return this season. If not, quarterback Philip Rivers proved that he can win games with his arm. And the Chargers would likely have to get more creative with the offense, making it a priority to get Darren Sproles the ball in a variety of ways.
Source: www.locksmithsportspicks.com
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