Raiders-Chargers betting line will move after Bengals-Steelers game

The line on the Raiders-Chargers regular-season finale Sunday at Allegiant Stadium will change after Saturday’s Bengals-Steelers game.

Los Angeles is a consensus 4½-point favorite over the Raiders. But that number will either rise or fall based on whether the Chargers must win to improve their playoff seeding, which is currently No. 6 in the AFC.

If Cincinnati, a 2-point favorite over Pittsburgh, beats the Steelers, the Chargers would need to win to claim the No. 5 seed. That would pit them against the Houston Texans on super wild-card weekend.

If the Steelers win, the Chargers would be locked into the No. 6 seed and a super wild-card weekend rematch of the Harbaugh Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. Their game against the Raiders would be rendered meaningless when it comes to the playoff picture.

Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons projected the lines in both scenarios.

“If Chargers need to win, -6½,” he said in a text message. “If they don’t, pick.”

Three-time Review-Journal NFL Challenge champion Doug Fitz, who is banking on the Bengals to beat the Steelers, made the Chargers his best bet of Week 18.

“The Chargers will get the 5 seed, the top wild-card spot with a win and a Steelers’ loss,” said Fitz (Systemplays.com), 46-38-1 against the spread in the RJ Challenge. “This would mean they would travel to Houston, which is 1-5 straight up against teams with a winning record, and a team they match up against very well.”

The Chargers (10-6, 11-5 ATS), tied for the NFL’s second-best spread record behind the Minnesota Vikings (11-4-1 ATS), covered as 3-point favorites in a 22-10 victory over the Raiders in their Sept. 8 season opener.

Los Angeles, which has won five of the past eight meetings, is riding an 8-2 cover streak and is 6-2 ATS on the road this season. But the home team is on a 6-0-1 spread streak in the series.

The Raiders (4-12, 7-8-1 ATS), +175 on the money line, have won two games in a row and covered three straight and four of five.

The consensus total is 41½. The Raiders are on a 5-0 under streak, while the Chargers are on a 3-0 over run.

“The Raiders come off back-to-back wins and have played a little bit better of late,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “(Raiders coach) Antonio Pierce can finish the season with three straight wins, although it can potentially alter their draft stock.

“If the Steelers win, the number will change dramatically. If the Bengals win, then the Chargers need to win, and the number would tick up a bit and we would definitely need the Raiders.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.