NFL Playoff Betting -- Chargers-Pats: Are We on Board with the Bolts?

  • In Charles Jay
  • Sun, Jan 13th, 2019 8:22:40 am
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Los Angeles Chargers travel east again as they play the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Much of the talk surrounding the New England Patriots involves how they are not as good as they have been in recent seasons, while the Los Angeles Chargers are looked upon as the "hot" side and a fashionable darkhorse to go to the Super Bowl. How will this scenario play out? We are going to discover all of this at 1:05 PM ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Remember that if you are a BetAnySports customer, you can place wafers even after the opening kickoff, as you access the state-of-the-art software provided through Live Betting Ultra.

The Patriots (11-5 SU, 9-7 ATS) obviously have the big edge, not only in playoff experience but playoff success as well. They have a coach (Bill Belichick) who has gone though this process of preparing for a post-season game no less then 37 times, while Anthony Lynn, who has been the Chargers' head coach for two years, has been in one - last week's road victory at Baltimore.

But does that matter? Shouldn't the fact that the Chargers have not lost at all outside of Los Angeles County carry a little weight? It certainly would appear to be a sign of mental toughness. And that is one of the things that makes handicapping this game so fascinating. And then add in Philip Rivers' 0-7 record against Tom Brady - could this be a significant factor?

In the NFL playoff betting odds posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Patriots are laying some points:

New England Patriots -4
Los Angeles Chargers +4

Over 47.5 points -110
Under 47.5 points -110

Everything would seem to be in place with the Chargers (now 13-4 SU, 10-7 ATS), who have the veteran quarterback in Rivers, who has the aid of a meaningful ground game (with the likes of Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler) to take the pressure off him - something that was more of less mandated by Lynn, a proponent of the rushing attack going back to his days as an assistant coach. The balance helps Rivers find receivers like Kennan Allen and Mike Williams, and this is going to put a strain on the New England secondary.

But where the Pats may be pressed even more is along the defensive front, because Lynn will continue to make play calls that pound the ball into the line if it works. And looking at New England's numbers, they give up 4.9 yards per carry for starters, with six of their games coming against lesser lights in the AFC East.

It is probably not very instructive to examine the Bolts' defensive numbers from last week, as they were facing a quarterback (Lamar Jackson) who was a pedestrian passer, and in no way comparable to Brady (4355 yards, 29 TD's), who has been to eight Super Bowls.

But where the Chargers' defense might actually be in better shape is from the "sack" end, as the duo of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa will be able to tee off against a much more stationary target. The challenge is different, in the sense that Brady makes his decisions quicker than Jackson. And that is one of the things that has allowed the Pats' offensive line to surrender just 21 sacks.

The thing about the Patriots is that they may have problems stretching the field. True, they have the great Rob Gronkowski, but he hasn't been as productive as he's been in recent years (47 catches, 662 yards). And aside from Julian Edelman, they don't have a wideout with more than 35 receptions. Remember that Josh Gordon is not available; he retired from football...well, before he was suspended. But at 18 yards a catch, he provided the "explosiveness" element that the Pats lacked, and will lack even more now. And we might add, which the Chargers do indeed possess, against a New England defense that has not been all that safe against the big play.

The Patriots haven't lost at home this season, and we respect that. But the Chargers have gone on the road to beat the likes of Seattle, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Baltimore. We have no reason to believe they couldn't do the same here. And since we are getting more than a field goal, we are on board with that.

Remember that NO ONE gives you the value BetAnySports does when it comes to the numbers on football, so use reduced juice to get better odds, and then, when the game is underway, continue to engage with Live Betting Ultra............ There are plenty of ways to make a deposit, including your Visa card, person-to-person transfers (like Western Union) or the virtual currency of Bitcoin, which is fast and easy with their automated system, and NEVER incurs a transaction fee!

(The preceding information has been furnished for news matter only)


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