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The Los Angeles Chargers face the New Orleans Saints on Friday night to finish the preseason! It's time to continue our NFL preseason odds series with a Chargers-Saints prediction and pick.
Both of these teams are winless during the preseason but if you have been paying attention, neither team really cares about that right now. A total of two starters played for the Chargers during the first two games. 2022 first-round draft pick Zion Johnson started at right guard for the Chargers and he will be the starter against the Las Vegas Raiders for Week 1. Josh Palmer also got some reps last week but everyone else who played is fighting for a roster spot.
As for the Saints, the same goes for them. Everyone playing is fighting for a playoff spot and they don't have very many starters playing. First-round draft picks Chris Olave and Trevor Penning are both playing, but aren't getting a ton of reps. Olave scored his first professional touchdown last week against the Green Bay Packers in the 20-10 loss. This battle tomorrow night will be much of the same for these teams.
Here are the Chargers-Saints NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2022 NFL Odds: Chargers-Saints Odds
Los Angeles Chargers: +3 (+100)
New Orleans Saints: -3 (-120)
Over: 36.5 (-110)
Under: 36.5 (-110)
Why The Chargers Could Cover The Spread
Preparing to face the Saints on the defensive end wasn't as hard of a task this week knowing that they will be going up against quarterback Ian Book for the entire game. With Jameis Winston still recovering from a torn ACL, it's unlikely he will play even though he has started he wants to play tomorrow night. Andy Dalton might be their Week 1 starter so he won't be suiting up for this game either … unless they do want to give him a drive or two. That likely won't happen, so the Chargers' defense can focus on trying to disrupt Book. Book has one touchdown and two interceptions this preseason and hasn't really performed to the level he did at Notre Dame.
Offensively, the Chargers will split halves between quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Easton Stick. They have taken turns starting in each of the first two games and if the trend stays the same, Daniel will get the nod tomorrow night. Daniel will likely be the backup and it's unclear if the team will carry three QBs. So Stick will get more reps tomorrow night throughout the game. He will have receivers Joe Reed and Michael Bandy available who both have excelled this preseason. Second-round pick Isaiah Spiller will likely be out as he is dealing with an ankle injury.
Bandy is one of those under-the-radar receivers that not many have heard about. He is a graduate of the University of San Diego and was one of the top FCS receivers in the country during his junior and senior seasons. He has two touchdowns this preseason and caught eight passes for 69 yards and a tub against the Cowboys last week.
Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread
The Saints can cover this spread if Book elevates his game. He needs to limit the turnovers and be more consistent with his throws. He ended just 16-28 in the loss to the Packers last week. Book did throw the TD to Olave but he hasn't proved he can complete consistent passes yet. He can escape the pocket and run which he did a lot in his NCAA days. The former Notre Dame standout carried the ball for 49 yards off of seven attempts last week.
The secondary will need to try and defend the Chargers' receivers who have been playing well this preseason. Bandy, Palmer, and Reed all have touchdowns this summer and have caught a good amount of passes. The Chargers are thin at running back so expect them to be throwing the ball more often than not. The Bolts are figuring out who will be the backup QB so I expect both Daniel and Stick to be letting it loose for the final preseason game.
Finals Chargers-Saints Prediction & Pick
These teams haven't played up to the levels of their opponents so far so it makes for a tough choice here. With the over/under at 36.5, betting the over here is the best call to make.
Finals Chargers-Saints Prediction & Pick: Over 36.5 (-110)
