Having already secured a spot in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Chargers are in a good position heading into their regular season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, that doesn’t mean they should take their foot off the gas.

At 10-6, the Chargers can’t outscore the 15-1 Kansas City Chiefs in the fight for the AFC West title. But what they can do is continue to play hard to keep the momentum going into the postseason. More importantly, Los Angeles can do itself a huge favor by wrapping up its business in Week 18, thereby easing its path to Super Bowl LIX.

Under these circumstances, the consequences of the Chargers-Raiders result will have a significant impact on the AFC’s seeding situation. But what exactly will Los Angeles gain or lose depending on the outcome?

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals gave the Chargers control of the conference’s fifth seed. With a win (or draw) over the Raiders, Los Angeles holds its own, which is notable given the potential outcomes of first-round games.

Finishing fifth or sixth in the AFC might not sound like a big difference, but it is. That’s the difference between a trip to M&T Bank Stadium to take on the mighty Baltimore Ravens or a more welcoming meeting with the Houston Texans. Presumably the Chargers (and Steelers) prefer the latter on Super Wild Card weekend, and that’s certainly the case.

Baltimore is on the short list of legitimate title contenders, while the Texans aren’t particularly scary to anyone. Even away from home, you can argue that the Bolts would have an advantage over Houston. However, the same cannot be said about their chances in a hostile environment against the Ravens.

Luckily for the Chargers, the lowest possible ranking is six. As a result, Los Angeles will avoid the Buffalo Bills for at least a week (should they advance). Still, if anything, the Ravens aren’t a much easier opponent. With that in mind, Justin Herbert and Co. shouldn’t play with their food – beating the Raiders is a crucial and realistic goal.