Chargers vs. Raiders: Betting odds and plays for NFL Week 15 Thursday Night Football

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-8) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (5-8)

TV: Prime Video, 8:15 p.m.

Odds: Las Vegas by 2.5; O/U: 34.5

(Odds from FanDuel, as of Wednesday night)

There isn't much intrigue surrounding this battle for third place between AFC West teams starting backup quarterbacks. But hey, it's the NFL: Weird things happen, and who knows, maybe we'll get an exciting game like the 2021 regular-season finale when the Raiders beat the Chargers, 35-32, in overtime on a Sunday night to not only punch their ticket to the playoffs but keep their rivals out of it. 

After Justin Herbert was lost for the season with a broken right index finger on his throwing hand, the Chargers will go with Easton Stick. It's his first NFL start; he went 13-for-24 for 179 yards filling in during last week's 24-7 loss to the Broncos. The Raiders counter with Aidan O'Connell, a rookie fourth-round pick out of Purdue who is making his seventh start. O'Connell's debut was against the Chargers in Week 4, a 24-17 Raiders loss after O'Connell was intercepted on first-and-goal at the 3 with a little over two minutes left.

The fact that O'Connell has already seen this defense, and almost beaten it, is good reason to like the hosts. Also, Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce, the former Giants linebacker, has the advantage of game-planning against Stick. It also helps that Las Vegas was just shut out, 3-0, at home to Minnesota. That kind of loss can motivate a team, even in a lost season. The Raiders have lost three in a row since beating the Giants and Jets to get to 5-5, and this feels like a good spot to get back in the win column.

The pick: Las Vegas

FIRST TD SCORER: Chargers defense (+1800) or Raiders defense (+1900). Don't think it can happen? Just look to last Monday night, when the Dolphins' defense opened the scoring with a pick-6. With two backup QBs and limited offenses, it's worth a shot.

By Joe Manniello

joe.manniello@newsday.com@joe_manniello

Joe Manniello, an editor on the sports copy desk, has written the NFL picks column since 2015. Manniello joined Newsday in 2004. He graduated from St. John's.