When it comes to NFL betting, there are often few better wagers to gamble on than NFL odds boosts. They are bets that are exactly what they sound like: Promotions from sportsbooks that move the odds in your favor on certain bets. Most of them are the specific prop bets that you might be searching for by yourself, and oftentimes the odds are fairly enticing. Rarely can you make a lot of money on these bets because of limits, but our job is to highlight the best NFL prop bets and NFL picks to wager on every weeks. We scour the internet trying to find the best NFL odds boosts for you every day from every sportsbook. The Raiders and the Chargers kick off the Week 15 slate with a Thursday night contest in Las Vegas.
The Raiders have been in a tailspin the last four weeks, as they have fallen into the fringe of the playoff picture. Perhaps coincidentally, that span also coincides with a drought of 100-yard rushing games, having moved into a pass-first attack. When the sportsbooks see two pass-based offenses with decent enough running backs, there are certain bets you can expect to see on the odds boosts market. Indeed, we will examine what to expect out of Derek Carr and Justin Herbert tonight as well as the prospects of Austin Ekeler and Josh Jacobs finding their way into the end zone. We end our exploration with a look at who might score the first points of the night in a suddenly critical AFC West showdown.
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NFL Odds: Week 15 Thursday Night Football Betting Picks + Props
NFL Picks: Derek Carr & Justin Herbert 5+ Combined Touchdown Passes (+170 DraftKings)
Herbert threw for 326 yards and two scores in the first meeting of the season between these two teams, and things have only gotten worse for the Raiders since then. They rank third to last in scoring defense and 25th against the pass, and they are facing a confident Herbert this week. The rookie had his struggles against Buffalo and New England, but he completed 81.8 percent of his passes and threw for two scores last week against Atlanta. No team has thrown more passes this season than the Chargers, so it’s safe to assume Herbert will put the ball in the air fairly often. Herbert also has Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry as his leading receiving options, so he should be able to pick apart this Raiders’ secondary once again.
Carr has thrown for multiple touchdowns in three of the last four weeks as he’s become a bigger part of the offense. He’s facing a stiff Chargers defense that held him to 165 yards in the first meeting, but he still threw two touchdowns. Los Angeles ranks seventh in passing yards allowed, but 24th in passing touchdowns allowed. So even if Carr isn’t able to move the ball down the field with his arm as much as the past few weeks, he should still be able to find some success in the red zone. That is especially true with Darren Waller and Jason Witten as two threats near the goal line to replace the speed and route running of Nelson Agholor and Henry Ruggs.
NFL Picks: Austin Ekeler & Josh Jacobs Score Touchdowns (+260 DraftKings)
Ekeler draws a fantastic matchup against a struggling Raiders defense that has allowed 200 yards on the ground in consecutive games. It’s a bit surprising to see that Ekeler has only scored one touchdown this season, but he’s still a threat every time he touches the ball. The Chargers work hard to make sure he touches the ball a lot as well no matter the gameplan. Ekeler had 14 rushes and 11 catches in his return from injury against the Bills three weeks ago, and just last week he ran the ball 15 times and also made nine catches. It’s hard to keep a player that touches the ball as often as Ekeler out of the end zone for long, and the Raiders defense is not the force it once was this year.
The Raiders ran the ball a lot the last time these two teams met, and Jacobs gained 65 yards and scored a touchdown on 14 carries that day. Los Angeles’ weakness is defending the run as it ranks 21st in that category, and the Raiders have been far better this season when they have a good running game. Las Vegas is 6-1 when it rushes for 100 yards and 1-5 when it doesn’t — and that one win was the miracle win against the Jets. If the Raiders are going to establish the run, it means more carries for Jacobs and more chances for him to hit a big run against this defense. More likely, though, he will bulldoze his way into the end zone with seven of his nine touchdown rushes being from inside the 10 and none longer than 14 yards.
NFL Picks: Austin Ekeler or Darren Waller Score First Touchdown (+450 FanDuel)
As I mentioned above, Waller is going to be a very popular target for Carr in the red zone against this Chargers defense. He has the size and hands to make plays in tight spaces, and he’ll be a difficult matchup for the Los Angles linebackers, who must also pay attention to Jacobs. DraftKings is offering +800 NFL odds on Waller to score the first touchdown, and his team-leading seven touchdown catches make him a strong candidate. Waller also has 53 more targets and nearly 40 more catches than the next closest receiver on the team. If Carr is going to throw the ball, chances are Waller will be the intended receiver.
One thing about Ekeler that makes him attractive as the Chargers option in this wager is his versatility. He’s the team’s third-leading receiver and the leading rusher, so he’s a threat as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. Although he might not be the first player you would think to score in a pass-happy offense, he is a solid option as a check down receiver in short-yardage situations or as someone who can lower the shoulder and drag the pile into the end zone on an opening drive. The fact he is versatile like that makes him a strong option to score the game’s first touchdown if the Chargers strike first.
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