Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers at Raiders: Highlights, score and recap

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In a classic AFC West battle, the San Diego Chargers will head to Oakland to take on the Raiders at O.co Coliseum on Sunday.

The Oakland Raiders were a sexy pick during the preseason to make it to their first postseason since 2002. Through the first four weeks of the season, the team has proven that the experts may have been right. They are off to a 3-1 start, which includes going 3-0 on the road, and they will look for their first home victory on Sunday. In order to do so, they will have to beat the hated San Diego Chargers.

Fortunately for Oakland, the Chargers come into O.co Coliseum extremely banged up. This week, the Chargers put starting cornerback Jason Verrett on Injured Reserve, adding to their growing list of stars who are finished for the 2016 season. Verrett joined Manti Te’o, Danny Woodhead, and Keenan Allen on the shelf, leaving the Bolts very short-handed.

Through it all, quarterback Philip Rivers continues to show that he is one of the best signal-callers in the AFC. Rivers has thrown for seven touchdowns against only one interception this season, while working with different receivers each week. Last week it was Dontrelle Inman who was the main receiver for San Diego, catching seven balls for 120 yards and a touchdown.

On the other hand, the Raiders have played like serious playoff contenders this season, thanks to the continued growth of quarterback Derek Carr. Carr is seen as one of the best young arms in the game, and is coming off a four touchdown game against the Baltimore Ravens last week. Three of those scores went to Michael Crabtree, who has turned his career around since going to Oakland.

Highlights

Highlights will be posted throughout the game.

Three Stars Prediction

1. Derek Carr

There was no sophomore jinx for Derek Carr last season, and this year, he has become one of the best in the business. Carr has nine touchdowns against one interception this season, and has distributed the ball with the consistency of a ten-year veteran. He will find easy sledding against the Chargers on Sunday, and could put up career-high numbers.

2. Amari Cooper

Expect a huge game out of Amari Cooper on Sunday, as Carr looks to get his star receiver into the end zone. Cooper caught only five balls for 48 yards last week, as Crabtree and Seth Roberts scored on passes from Carr. Cooper has yet to score a touchdown in 2016, but that is certain to change in a big way on Sunday.

3. Philip Rivers

Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC, and despite being decimated on offense by injuries, he continues to put up big-time numbers. Oakland has shown a propensity to allow big gainers, and Rivers should be able to do well against their secondary. Expect a three-touchdown performance from Rivers in what should be a shootout.

Odds

The Raiders are a 3.5 point favorite against their AFC West rival on Sunday. The odds makers have set the over/under at 51 points, so like us, they are expecting a bunch of points on Sunday. These two teams could easily go over that number.

Next Week

It will be a short week for the San Diego Chargers, who will host the Denver Broncos in a Thursday night matchup in Week 6. The Raiders will stay home to host the Kansas City Chiefs.