Sunday was tough sledding for the Black Dog Best Bets. 0-4 is not our standard. On the week, we are at 1-4 and have a chance to get to 3-4 for the second straight week. Tonight, there is a double header. The first game is going to be between the Buccaneers and Texans at 7:00 PM. The second game will be between the Chargers and Raiders, starting at 10:00 PM. I have gone through the available bets and decided that I am picking the spreads for tonight. Prop bets have been difficult so far, so until there is a bigger body of work for how teams use their players, I will look elsewhere. Time to turn this week around. Let’s make some money!

First things first, the Best Bets:

Best Bets

• Buccaneers +2.5
• Chargers -3.5

Buccaneers at Texans

This is a rare matchup between two South team. There have only been 6 matchups between the Bucs and Texans. The Texans have won 5 of the 6. The most recent game between these two was on November 5th, 2023, where the Texans won a 39-37 shootout.

The similarities between these two teams are remarkable. They are both long standing division winners in the south. They both are perennial playoff teams due to playing in weak divisions. they both pride themselves on defensive football.

The Bucs are 1-0 coming off of a shootout win against the Falcons. They won 23-20. They ran the ball effectively and totaled 101 yards. They face a stingy Houston run defense that only let up 72 yards on the ground. The pass offense, led by Baker Mayfield and his group of receivers, managed only 159 yards through the air. This was a departure from last year where they were one of the more prolific pass offenses in the league. They might have a return to form tonight against a Houston defense that led up 224 yards to the Rams last week.

The Texans are 0-1 after a 14-9 loss to the Rams. They struggled to score any points due to their offensive line play. This was a key area of weakness pointed out in the preseason and it was apparent against a strong Rams defensive front. They will face a similar issue against a Todd Bowles defense that likes to blitz. The Texans managed 151 yards through the air and 114 yards on the ground. The offensive line struggled to protect CJ Stroud and the run game did not look the same without running back Joe Mixon. Mixon is not coming back anytime soon, so this team will rely on Nick Chubb to run the ball.

Best Bet Background

I took the points in this matchup, but I believe that the Bucs are poised to win this game outright. The Texans will rely on their defense to keep the game close. However, the problems for Houston on offense might continue if they are unable to establish themselves in the trenches. Vita Vea on the Bucs is a dominant presence and will cause issues for this Houston front all night. Conversely, the Texans have one of the better defensive lines in the league and will cause issues for Tampa Bay. So, if Houston does end up winning, they will win by a slim margin, hence why I am taking the 2.5 points for Tampa.

Chargers at Raiders

The second game of tonight’s doubleheader will be an AFC West matchup. These teams have faced each other 131 times. The Raiders currently hold the lead in the all-time series 69-60-2. In the last 5 matchups, the Chargers are leading 3-2. Last year, the Chargers swept the Raiders. However, the Raiders have a new coaching staff and quarterback this year.

That will be one of the major storylines headed into the late game tonight. Pete Caroll, who turned 74 today, is facing off against a familiar rival in Jim Harbaugh. These two coaches have played against each other in college and most recently in the NFC West when Harbaugh was the 49ers coach and Carroll was the Seahawks coach. As it stands, Carroll holds an edge in head-to-head wins 5-4.

For the team specific matchup tonight, the 1-0 Chargers are traveling to Las Vegas to take on the 1-0 Raiders. The Chargers are coming off of a stellar win against the Chiefs in Brazil. The Chargers won that game 27-21. They played in a style that was a departure from expectation. The Chargers are built to run the ball, but they came out and beat the Chiefs through the air. Justin Herbert threw for 304 yards while the backs ran for 90 yards. The defense allowed 98 yards on the ground and 249 yards through the air.

The Raiders are coming off of a victory over the Patriots in week 1. They won 20-13. They primarily moved the ball through the air on the arm of Geno Smith. Smith threw for 333 yards. Meanwhile, they struggled to run the ball. They only ran for 56 yards. They also might be without Brock Bowers, who is the main target for this pass offense. Their defense struggled against the pass and allowed 276 pass yards to the Pats. They excelled against the run and only allowed 60 yards.

Best Bet Background – Chargers -3.5

This matchup favors the Chargers. They have a more balanced attack on offense than the Raiders. They are able to run the ball and pass efficiently. The Raiders are (potentially) coming in without their top offensive weapon. They struggled against a Pats team that is not that talented. Meanwhile, the Chargers are coming off of a marque win against the Chiefs. Looking at the previous two games, the Chargers won by more than 10 points. They should be able to win another game by at least 4 points tonight.