NFL futures, 2 Los Angeles Chargers bets: Is this the Chargers' year?
The Los Angeles Chargers have strong pieces throughout the lineup and are one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Is this the year the Chargers find postseason success?
Chargers high-level odds
- Wins: Over 9.5 (-115) | Under 9.5 (-105)
- To Win Division: +340
- To Win Conference: +1300
- To Win Super Bowl: +2500
The Chargers finished last season at 10-7, good enough for the fifth seed in the AFC. They were up 27 in the Wild Card round over the Jaguars before promptly imploding and losing the game. The team will hope to push that loss as far out of their minds as possible heading into the new season.
Justin Herbert is an upper-echelon quarterback and will be back with his full supporting cast in Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The Chargers have a strong offensive line led by LT Rashawn Slater that should help keep Herbert upright and able to make plays down the field.
There's a hope that the new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore can ignite some new looks into this offense and help bring Herbert's game to the next level.
The team was a bit leaky in the secondary last season, but full seasons out of both Derwin James and Asante Jamuel Jr. would help the cause. Up front, they can rush the passer with Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, as strong as a duo as they come. Bosa played only five games last year but appears to be healthy heading into training camp.
Two futures bets to make on the Los Angeles Chargers
To miss the playoffs (-120 DK)
Found under 'Team Futures'
Justin Herbert is great, there's just something about this franchise that I can't shake. This is not nearly as scientific as I'd prefer to lay out for you here, but I'm just not convinced the Chargers are ever going to get over the hump as a team. That Wild Card loss to Jacksonville last year has to be demoralizing. The Chargers were up 27 points and blew that game!
When I look around the AFC this season, I see a whole bunch of teams that figure to be extremely competitive for the seven playoff spots available.
Let's pencil in the Chiefs, Bengals, Bills and Jaguars for four playoff spots. That leaves three Wild Cards for the Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Browns and Broncos, all teams with win totals set at 7.5 or higher.
Herbert's top receivers both missed significant time last season, and if that continues, it's going to be much harder for this offense to keep up.
I could easily envision a down-year for Los Angeles, and if I'm forced to pick a side, I'd chance that the Chargers miss out on the postseason this coming winter.
Quentin Johnston to lead rookies in receiving yards (+600 DK)
Found under 'Player Futures'
Quentin Johnston, selected 21st overall in this year's draft, slots in as the third passing option on this offense to begin the year. His main competitors in this rookie market are Minnesota's Jordan Addison (+200) and Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba (+320).
A pick here on Johnston is very much in line with some of the concerns I outlined above. It just seems that every year Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are battling injuries. That very much may be recency bias, I admit it, but Williams missed four games and parts of others last year, while Allen missed seven games and parts of more.
With both receivers getting older, it's not ridiculous to consider these issues only continue to plague them.
In that case, I like spotting a wager on Johnston to be the top-producing rookie pass-catcher this season. Johnston should operate as a big-play threat from the beginning, seeing as he averaged 19.0 yards per catch in his TCU career, and there's no questioning he has a strong quarterback throwing him the football in Justin Herbert. I like the price here.
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