All you need to know about the biggest stories in sports and how to bet on them, sent straight to your inbox.
Sent twice weekly so you can stay on top of what’s good in sports.
The Los Angeles Chargers travel to Baltimore where the Ravens are 3-point favorites in a matchup between first-place teams in their respective AFC divisions. L.A. is 8-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last nine games and 2-0 against the spread as an underdog, winning both games outright.
Lamar Jackson & Co. take the field off a short week looking to stop Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and his potent offensive attack. Herbert is one of two QBs this season to rank top-5 in completions (3rd, 139) passing yards per game (4th, 315.2) and touchdowns (tied for 3rd, 13).
Herbo holds the league record for the most games with at least 300 passing yards (11) in a player’s first two seasons, and is the FIRST player in franchise history to post three straight games with at least three passing touchdowns and zero interceptions.
You already know what the City of Angels is capable of, but Jackson is an absolute terror in his own right. He is the walking defintion of a dual-threat QB, ranking fifth in passing yards per game (303.8) and eighth in rushing yards per game (62.8) – and that’s among running backs. Wowie.
There’s no doubt that Baltimore will be a tough challenge for the Chargers, who struggle to defend the run. The Ravens boast the fourth-best rushing attack in yards per game (148.8). However, in Week 5, Baltimore rushed for a mere 86 yards against the Colts, snapping their 43-game streak of at least 100 yards on the ground per game.
If you’re uneasy about Los Angeles’ defense after letting the Browns run all over them last week, check out the point total hitting the over. The combined score from both teams in a game is set at over/under 51.5. Both squad’s reputations scream points, points, points, with a combined average of 56.6 points per game, so it’s worth considering the over.
The Chargers’ passing offense is truly electric, averaging the third-most passing yards in the league (303.0). Herbie is fully loaded, with multiple offensive weapons at his disposal including wideout Mike Williams, who sits No. 5 in average receiving yards per game (94.2).
The Takeaway
LAC’s outrageous passing attack looks to dominate Baltimore’s bottom-five defense against the pass (allowing 296.4 yards per game). Even under pressure this team performs, as the Chargers are 87.5% on 4th down conversions this season. Stat to note: the Ravens have failed to cover the spread on all three occasions the team was favored by three or more points in this season.
