GREG COTE'S THURSDAY PICK
CHARGERS (4-5) at RAIDERS (4-4)
Line: LAC by 1.
Cote's pick: LAC 23-20.
TV: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Fox/NFL.
These games are rare. Maybe one every few weeks? I mean matchups I see as so close you could flip a coin and I' d be OK with either result. This AFC West duel to kick off Week 10 is one of those. That both teams are unreliably erratic underlines the quandary, and my waffling. Philip Rivers should carve up Oakland's pliable secondary. But shouldn't rookie-of-the-year frontrunner Josh Jacobs do the same to LAC's shaky run-D? (Notable sidelight that TV's talking heads figure to be chewing dog-on-bone: The vehemently denied report that the Bolts may be relocating to (!) London). We enjoyed a big Week 9 _ 11-3 straight-up, 8-5-1 vs. the spread _ and need a big start here. Chargers have won three straight in series and bring a clearly superior all-round defense. If the team that last week comfortably handled Green Bay is kind enough to show up again (please?), give us L.A. south of the over/under.
