Will the Chargers win two games in a row again?
Los Angeles vs. New York is probably the mother of all city rivalries in the US sports world. In the NFL, however, it happens quite rarely because there are no teams in the same divisions. That makes them all the more exciting.
For the duel between the Chargers and the Giants, however, the term “suspense” is very broad. But at the end of the day, both teams still have a chance of making the postseason, LA much better than New York.
The Chargers would currently be No. 5 in the AFC and would have to compete with the Chiefs. Not the easiest draw, so another win or two in the coming weeks would be advisable. The Giants, on the other hand, are currently two wins away from the playoffs.
With a remaining schedule in the last three games of Eagles, Bears and Washington, however, there is still a hint of a chance for them – if they win against LA on Sunday. For Chargers vs. Giants, however, our prediction is: Chargers do it – albeit narrowly.
Kickoff of the NFL Match Week 14 duel is Sunday night at 22:05 in Los Angeles. The match can be watched live in the RedZone on DAZN.
Los Angeles Chargers – Statistics & current form
The Chargers are currently playing everything, but not consistently. Already since the beginning of October (Raiders + Browns) they could not win two in a row. That means that on Sunday, another defeat would have to be on the agenda.
That is not out of the question, even though they are clear favourites going into the game. But what does favourite mean in this crazy NFL season? Nevertheless, the statistics speak very much in favour of Los Angeles.
Chargers struggling at home
Surprisingly, the Chargers are more comfortable away than at home this year. They are only 3-3 at home in SoFi Stadium and have lost two of their last three home games (Patriots, Vikings).
Even the 41:37 win against a weak Pittsburgh was not the last word in wisdom, which is why the oddsmakers’ advantage (-10.0) is surprising. They haven’t had such a winning margin at home since October 5.
Defence clearly worse than in previous years
What stands out particularly negatively is their drop-off when it comes to defensive performance. With 26.3 points allowed per game, they rank sixth to last in the NFL, tied with the Lions – truly not good company.
Since the Giants are not pulling up any trees offensively, it could be enough for a win on Sunday. But we dare to doubt that it will be by double digits. For Chargers against Giants, a bet on NY +10.0 is therefore the bet of our choice.
Key Players:
QB: Justin Herbert
RB: Austin Ekeler
WR: Keenan Allen
TE: Jared Cook
K: Tristan Vizcaino
New York Giants – stats & recent form
The Giants had just moved back to within one win of the playoff places, but then followed up with a 9:20 defeat in Miami. Especially their offensive performance left much to be desired, as so often this season.
They score just 17.6 points per game, only four teams are worse. So it will be difficult to win games, even if their defence really tries hard. With 22.8 points conceded per game, they are very respectable here.
Who should score for the Giants?
The question this season is who should take the brunt of the scoring for them. While that was running back Saquon Barkley before his serious injury, he has yet to really get going since his comeback.
Among the wide receivers, Golladay, Shepard and Toney regularly have a big fat Q behind their names, meaning they are questionable until shortly before the start of the game. Having all three on the field has happened very rarely so far this season.
Neither Daniel Jones the difference maker
Then again, the fact that quarterback Daniel Jones keeps getting absolute off-days doesn’t help either. With an average QB rating of 84.8, he even lags behind quarterbacks like Heinicke, Goff or Siemian.
However, since their defence has been stellar lately (13.5 points allowed over the last two games), at least a close game against LA is in the cards. For Chargers vs. Giants, the odds on New York with a high handicap of up to +10.0 are therefore good bets.
Key Players:
QB: Daniel Jones
RB: Saquon Barkley
WR: Kenny Golloday
TE: Evan Ingram
K: Graham Gano
Los Angeles Chargers – New York Giants Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Since the Chargers moved to Los Angeles, this duel has only happened once – and that was in 2017. That one went 27-22 for the Chargers, but both teams looked very different then and there was no sign of Herbert or Jones yet.
The latest results on Sunday prove the bookmakers right with their favourite status, but we don’t expect the Giants to run into the Chargers like the Bengals did.
Rather, a close and low-scoring duel is to be expected. In low-scoring games, it’s rare to see a double-digit win, which is why, in addition to Giants +10.0, under-scoring bets are an option here.
Los Angeles Chargers – New York Giants Tip
The Giants are all about low scoring games this season. They haven’t topped the 40-point mark in six games already and this could be exactly the same against Los Angeles.
This increases the chances that it will also be a close duel. The Chiefs, for example, only won 20-17 against New York in the end and we rate LA similarly. Thus, for Chargers vs. Giants, odds on NY +10.0 are our favoured betting option.
Alternatively, bets on subpar points are also possible for exactly this reason. So we don’t expect 20 points from New York and since we don’t see 25 from the Chargers either, under 43.0 is a number that seems like a good bet.
