3 Reasons the Raiders Will Upset the Chargers in Week 1

The Los Angeles Chargers kick off their 2022 NFL season with a Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. These AFC West rivals are no strangers to one another and have a knack for putting together thrillers. In fact, two of their last three matchups have gone to overtime.

The Chargers head into this game as a 3.5-point home favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds. NFL fans know that anything can happen in Week 1, however, as teams are still figuring everything out. Let's take a look at three reasons the Raiders will be able to pull off an upset win here.

Raiders vs Chargers Week 1

1. The Addition of Davante Adams

This reason isn't too hard to explain. Las Vegas completed a blockbuster deal this past offseason to acquire Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers. Adams has posted over 1,300 receiving yards in three of his last four seasons and has averaged a reliable 70.0 yards per game in his career. It won't take him long to form a connection with quarterback Derek Carr, either, as the two spent their college years together as Fresno State Bulldogs. LA's secondary will be shorthanded without J.C. Jackson, and Adams is the kind of player that can take over a game at any time.

2. Elevated Pass Rush

The Raiders finished with 34.0 sacks last season, which tied for the 12th-worst mark in the NFL. Outside of Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, Las Vegas was getting little weekly consistency from its defensive line. That's where veteran Chandler Jones steps in. The offseason signing has racked up double-digit sacks in six of his last seven seasons and led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2019. He also logged an impressive 26 QB hits in 2021. Jones' presence should help the Raiders keep Justin Herbert uncomfortable in the pocket from the first snap to the final whistle.

3. Veterans in the Secondary

Las Vegas benefitted from the emergence of rookies Trevon Moehrig and Nate Hobbs in the secondary last season. Both players tallied at least 55 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception. The team still struggled to stop the pass as a whole, though. The front office used the offseason as a time to improve in that area and signed veterans Rock Ya-Sin and Duron Harmon. Having a mix of youth and experience gives the Raiders a shot to keep Herbert from balling out like he did last season. This game could be won with an opportunistic takeaway or two.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.