Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Los Angeles Chargers NFL Sports Betting Guide
The Los Angeles Chargers entered this season with the expectation that they would be legitimate contenders in the AFC. However, they haven’t looked anything close to that following a 2-3 start that has included losses to the Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos. Already looking up at the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the NFC West, the Chargers enter a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Pittsburgh is likely down to its third-string quarterback following a concussion to Mason Rudolph, but the Chargers are really banged up too. What’s the best bet in this game?
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Details
- Opening Line: LA Chargers -5.5
- Current Line: LA Chargers -6.5
- Over/Under: 43.5
- Location: Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles, California
- Start Time: 8:20 PM ET
- Last Meeting: Chargers 33 at Steelers 30 (12/2/18)
View consensus picks from 100+ experts for the Steelers at Chargers >>
Overview
Mike Tomlin and his staff in Pittsburgh will certainly have their work cut out for them on the road against a quality opponent with an undrafted rookie starting at quarterback. While the Steelers will attempt to isolate Hodges in the same manner they did Rudolph, it might not turn out as planned. The offense has been stuck in neutral all season regardless of the quarterback, so Pittsburgh’s defense will have to carry the mail in this game. The good news is they’ve been solid, for the most part, and are going up against a Chargers’ team that couldn’t do much at home against the Denver Broncos last week. The Chargers have a laundry list of injuries, including across the offensive line. The Steelers should be able to get after Philip Rivers and harass him all game.
Speaking of Rivers, he and the Chargers blew a perfect opportunity to climb above .500 in last week’s loss to Denver. They can’t afford a similar result this week. For his part, Rivers has thrown for at least 315 yards with two touchdowns and a passer rating over 100 in two of his last three outings. With running back Melvin Gordon still working his way into game shape, it will be on Rivers and running back Austin Ekeler to do the bulk of the heavy lifting on offense.
The Chargers are banged up, but the math here is quite simple, score 17 or more and they probably win. The Steelers just don’t have the firepower to hang around here.
Trends
- Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in last 7 in Western Time Zone
- Under is 7-1 in Steelers last 8 road games
- Chargers have won 2 of last 3 vs. Steelers
- LA is 6-12-1 ATS in last 19 home games
Bottom Line
This is a game that screams under to me.
The Steelers’ offense was a train wreck even with Ben Roethlisberger, and it’s not going to be better with Hodges making his first road start. Jaylen Samuels and James Washington are also out, so the team is missing more than just the signal-caller.
As for the Chargers, they’re a bad team right now. They’re an Adam Vinatieri field goal (or extra point) away from being a one-win team. They have so many injuries that they’re hard to trust – especially going up against a solid defense. It’s a low total, but I don’t see many points here. Take the under.
Prediction: Under
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Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 6
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Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs (-4)
New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings (-3)
Washington Redskins vs. Miami Dolphins (+3.5)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens (-10.5)
Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay (+2)
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets (+7)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Arizona Cardinals (+2.5)
Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos (-2)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams (-3)
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers (-3.5)
Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.