The Los Angeles Chargers are poised to improve in 2023 on all sides of the ball. A big area of improvement that the Chargers need to focus on this year is the defense.

In the 2022 season, Los Angeles’ defense allowed 22.6 points per game and 346.1 yards per game, which ranked them 20th overall in the league. A big reason for this was due to the fact that their key defensive players like Joey Bosa and J.C. Jackson were injured for either most or all of last season, causing the Chargers’ defense to lose momentum, especially in crucial moments of the game.

The good news for the defense is this year, the Chargers’ offense should be able to win most of their games, with new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore coming in, which will cause star quarterback Justin Herbert to soar to new heights and unlock all of his potential. Herbert in 2022 threw for 4,739 yards and 25 touchdowns, and he is destined to have a better year throwing the ball, especially with targets like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and promising rookie Quentin Johnston.

The Dolphins have an overall record of 19-17 when playing against the Chargers. However, Los Angeles took the win against Miami in 2022 with a score of 23-17 in an electrifying battle. The Los Angeles Chargers look to make the overall matchup record with the Dolphins 19-18, as they are favored to win this week one matchup, with a 55.4% chance to send the Dolphins back to South Florida with a loss.

Dolphins

Money Line: (+140)

The Miami Dolphins will be looking to silence all of the doubters in 2023. With a high-speed offense and an intimidating defense, the Dolphins are in a great position to build off of their success in 2023.

In last year’s campaign, the Dolphins finished with a record of 9-8, making the postseason as a wild card. Miami’s rising star quarterback Tua Tgovailoa was on fire last season, throwing for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns. However, Tua’s significant amount of head and back injuries held him back, as he was not able to play the full season after being on an MVP-caliber pace. A big part of Tua’s success was the help from speedster receivers Tyreek Hill, who amassed 1,710 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, and Jaylen Waddle, who recorded 1,356 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Hill and Waddle will look to do the same for Tua and the Miami offense in 2023.

Along with the high-powered offense of the Dolphins comes the hard-hitting defensive unit. The Miami defense in 2022 ranked 14th in the NFL overall, finishing sixth in yards per carry allowed (4.1) and 13th in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0). However, the Dolphins ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards and points allowed. A big reason for this was because the defense could not create lots of turnovers (14), and the struggled in the red zone, allowing a touchdown 59.3 percent of the time.

Nevertheless, Miami’s defense should change that narrative in late 2023, with star corner Jalen Ramsey coming into town to help fire up this defense with high potential. Ramsey in his seven years in the NFL has generated 19 interceptions, and has 452 tackles, with his career high coming in 2022 with 88.  He is set to make a big impact on Miami’s defense when he returns from injury in December.

Prediction

With all of these factors playing a big role, Los Angeles is favored to win this week one matchup against the Miami Dolphins due to the big injury to Jalen Ramsey, and the new-look Chargers offense. Both teams are expected to combine for 51 points in this high-scoring affair, which should set the stage for how the 2023 NFL season will play out.