NFL Preseason Week 2 Predictions: Chargers a good bet to beat Saints? 8/20/17
Are the New Orleans Saints a good bet to beat the Los Angeles Chargers tonight when the two teams meet at 8:00PM ET?
The Matchup: Saints vs. Chargers, 8:00PM ET, StubHub Center
According to oddsmakers, the Chargers are now 3.5-point home favorites to beat the Saints. Los Angeles opened as a 3-point favorite but the line was bet up a half-point. As for the total, the number hit the board at 43 and that’s where it currently sits.
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans dropped its preseason debut last Thursday night to the Browns in Cleveland. In their 20-14 loss, Garrett Grayson completed 11 of 16 passes for 126 yards. Rookie Alvin Kamara also led the team in rushing with 35 yards on four carries while Tommylee Lewis caught a whopping 10 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Drew Brees did not play in the game.
Defensively for the Saints, P.J. Williams led the team in tackles with six while fellow linebacker Stephone Anthony had three tackles and a sack. Also recording sacks were Mitchell Loewen (who had 1.5), Al-Quadin Muhammad (who had a half-sack), and Alex Jenkins.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers played the Seahawks in the final preseason game of Week 1 and were stomped, 48-17. The night was a mess for Los Angeles outside of the first quarter, where the Chargers led, 14-10. The Bolts surrendered 24 points in the second quarter as the defense couldn’t stop Trevone Boykin, who completed 12-of-15 passes for 189 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
That said, Philip Rivers looked good in limited action. The starter completed 5-of-6 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Travis Benjamin also caught two passes for 89 yards and a 74-yard touchdown. The Chargers running game didn’t get much going, however, as the team combined to rush for 72 yards on 22 carries, good for a 3.3 YPC average.
Our Prediction
I think the Chargers will bounce back off their ugly performance a week ago. Even though its only preseason, new coach Anthony Lynn will likely create some urgency just so his team can build some momentum heading into the regular season. I like the Chargers to win and cover at home.
NFL Week 2 Preseason Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers -3.5
