After falling 10-7 to the Giants last Sunday (and falling to a 2-9 record in the process), the Patriots welcome the 4-7 Los Angeles Chargers to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium this weekend.
The game will kick off this Sunday at 1 p.m. and will air on CBS. Here are the betting odds, according to our exclusive wagering partners at FanDuel Sportsbook:
Odds – Patriots vs. Chargers
Spread: Chargers -5.5
Moneyline: Chargers -260/Patriots +215
Total: O/U 40.5
Storylines
“Top of the morning,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said on Wednesday morning, as he went on to discuss their opponents this weekend in the Los Angeles Chargers. “Getting ready to go on the Chargers, pretty talented football team, been in a lot of close games, really competitive with everybody. They have quite a few explosive players that we’ve got to deal with here.”
That may be an understatement as, despite sitting at 4-7 and at the bottom of the AFC West, LA has both a top-five quarterback talent in Justin Herbert as well as one of the more talented rosters in football.
The main storyline of this game, of course, becomes both head coaches. Both Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as well as Belichick have taken the brunt of the blame for their team’s struggles in 2023. The interesting part about this one? LA has been mentioned as a potential next destination for the Patriots’ main man.
“One of my well-placed sources,” tweeted long-time NFL author Gary Myers earlier this month, “Believe the Chargers are the favorites for Bill Belichick in 2024: Excellent QB; team ready to win; Belichick likes California and the beach.”
Given that, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Los Angeles is expected to part ways with Staley barring a “miracle”, there will at the very least be an opening on SoCal for Belichick to jump to if he (and the Pats) so choose.
As for the game itself on Sunday, the major storyline is the fact that the Patriots have reportedly made a quarterback change. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, New England is preparing to start Bailey Zappe against the Chargers.
The Patriots have called upon Zappe in a relief role four times this season as a result of benching starter Mac Jones. The second-year QB has thrown zero touchdowns and two interceptions with a completion percentage of just 48.7%.
While neither quarterback hasn’t performed up to snuff, by any means, this season, it’s time for a change. Perhaps Zappe can give New England a much-needed spark offensively.
Predictions and Picks
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: I can’t back the Patriots until I see them get a win. New England hasn’t won in over a month and is scoring under 12 points per game since their miraculous division win versus Buffalo in Week 7.
They’re just not good enough. Herbert and the Chargers win convincingly in Foxborough, putting the Patriots on their first five-game losing streak since 1995.
Score: Chargers 27 – Patriots 7
Side: Chargers -5.5
Total: UNDER 40.5
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.
