Chargers vs Raiders live stream: How to Watch Thursday Night Football

Chargers vs Raiders live stream
(Image credit: Sean M. Haffey and Al Bello / Getty Images)
Chargers vs Raiders live stream channel, start time

The Chargers vs Raiders live stream is scheduled to begin at 8:20 p.m. ET/ 5:20 p.m. PT today (Thursday, Dec. 17).
It's airing on FOX, NFL Network and Amazon Prime.

This Chargers vs Raiders live stream sees LA look to play spoiler, as the 4-9 Chargers don't have anything higher to aim for — as they've already been removed from contention for the playoffs. But at 7-6, the Raiders still have a shot at the AFC West wildcard slot. 

Lucky for them, the Vegas squad has shown it can beat the Chargers, having prevailed 32-26 back in week 9--their third win in a row over the team. Given that win, and a record of higher scoring, the Raiders are favored by at least 3 points over the Chargers in this week 15 NFL live stream

That's not to say that things have been going smoothly for the Raiders. The team is stricken with an abysmal defense that allows a whopping 30 points per game on average (behind only the hapless Jets and Cowboys). They posted not a single turnover or sack and allowed a huge 212 rushing yards in Sunday's 44-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. And injuries may keep several starting defensive players out on Thursday.

Fortunately for Vegas, the Chargers are not a high-scoring team, averaging just 22.8 points per game, vs 26.9 for the Raiders. The Chargers do come to Vegas fresh off a Sunday win over the Atlanta Falcons, but it was an ugly win. With the game tied at 17 in the final minute, quarterback Justin Herbert threw an interception. But the Chargers' Matt Ryan responded with his own interception, which opened the way to a winning 43-yard field goal by Michael Badgley as the clock ran out. Still, the Chargers haven't had back-to-back wins since week 9 of the 2019 season.

While the Raiders' offense may be a bit stronger overall, the team is hampered by its notoriously weak defense. Shoring up that defense will be critical for the team to prevail on Thursday night.

How to watch Chargers vs Raiders live stream with a VPN

If for some reason you've had to leave your own "bubble" — or you can't get FOX or NFL Network where you are for some strange reason — and you can't watch the Chargers vs Raiders live streams you want, you're not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town (or somewhere that blackouts won't hit), and access the same streaming services you already paid for. 

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN offers superb speeds and excellent customer service, and IPVanish's low pricing is shocking.

ExpressVPN

We think speed, security and simplicity make ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied.

Chargers vs Raiders live streams in the US

In the US, Chargers vs Raiders is going to be broadcast on FOX and NFL Network, which are available on two of our favorite streaming services fuboTV and Sling TV. The game starts at 8:20 p.m. ET/ 5:20 p.m. PT on Thursday, December 17.

When it comes to picking the right streaming service for football, die-hard football fans will probably want fuboTV, as it has all five of the main channels you'll want: CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC and the NFL Network. That's why it's one of the best streaming services.

Sling TV on the other hand, may be more affordable, but it still gets you four out of the five networks listed above (no CBS for Sling, or NFL RedZone). It's a case of "you get what you pay for" as Sling Orange & Blue costs $45 per month, while the Fubo TV Standard package gives you all of the above, for $59.99 per month.

Fubo.TV:a 7-day free trial

Fubo.TV: One of the best streaming services with FOX, and the top pick for watching all of the 2020 NFL live streams, Fubo has all of the right network channels and the two cable channels you don't want to go without. Who needs cable? Not Fubo subscribers. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front.

Sling TV

If you can stand to miss CBS games, Sling TV provides a middle ground. The $45 per month Sling Orange + Blue package has FOX and NFL Network for this game, as well as local NBC affiliates, and ESPN.

Amazon Prime subscribers get free access to the Chargers vs Raiders game as part of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video without ever needing to pay extra. 

NFL Sunday Ticket: Chargers vs Raiders is not one of the games that DirecTV subscribers can watch via NFL Sunday Ticket.

You can also get NFL Sunday Ticket as a stand-alone service — but only if you live in an area that doesn't get DirecTV service.

Chargers vs Raiders live stream for free

If you just want to watch Chargers vs Raiders on your phone or tablet, the Yahoo Sports app for iOS and Android gives away every NFL game that's broadcast in your local TV market for free. You can also sign into your NFL Game Pass subscription and stream it from the Yahoo app. 

As part of the Thursday Night Football coverage deal with Amazon, the Chargers vs Raiders game will also stream for free on Amazon-owned Twitch.

Chargers vs Raiders live streams in the UK

You can also catch the Chargers vs Raiders live stream across the pond, though it is at the late hour of 1:20 a.m. local BST. Yes, those in the U.K. will want Sky Sports for watching NFL games in the U.K., where it airs on Sky Sports NFL. It will also feature more than 100 live games this season.

If you're an existing Sky customer, you can get all of that with the Sky Sports Complete Pack, for £39 per month

If you're not looking to spend that much, you can get a less comprehensive Sky Sports pass from Now TV. Daily, weekly and monthly passes range from £9.99 to £33.99.

Chargers vs Raiders live streams in Canada

Get in, folks, we're going to Da Zone. Or to be more specific, Canadian football fans will need DAZN to watch Chargers vs Raiders live streams in Canada. 

DAZN is also the home of live Champions League soccer games. Plus, Canadians get a 30-day free trial of DAZN here.

Sean Captain is a freelance technology and science writer, editor and photographer. At Tom's Guide, he has reviewed cameras, including most of Sony's Alpha A6000-series mirrorless cameras, as well as other photography-related content. He has also written for Fast Company, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.