The Los Angeles Chargers saw rookie quarterback Justin Herbert earn the first win of his NFL career last week, and he will go for two in a row Sunday when they visit the Denver Broncos as small road favorites. The Chargers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 39-29 as 7.5-point home favorites, and they are road chalk for the first time this year.
- Date/Time: November 1, 4:05 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Empower Field at Mile High
- TV Coverage: CBS
- Sportsbook Odds: Chargers -1.5 | O/U 44.5 (Line History)
- Chargers vs Broncos Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Los Angeles looked good in the win over Jacksonville while Denver looked bad in a 43-16 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. In other words, this looks to be a classic line move to -3 where bettors are wagering based on what is in their most recent memory. Keep in mind the Broncos won two games in a row prior to getting blown out by the Chiefs, and the Chargers were riding a four-game losing streak. The public is seemingly in love with Herbert, though, and that is the difference.
Los Angeles News & Notes
How good was Herbert against the Jaguars? Well, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft showed everyone why he was viewed by some as the best college quarterback the previous year had he left school a season earlier.
He threw for 347 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions vs Jacksonville and ran for 66 yards and another score, although doubters can still look at his opponent as the main reason for those gaudy numbers.
This will be a much bigger test for Herbert and his Los Angeles teammates, some of whom have been around for a rough stretch when playing Denver over the past decade. The Broncos have won 14 of the last 18 games in the series, according to the Odds Shark NFL Database, including six of the previous seven played at Mile High.
Denver News & Notes
Denver is a better team than the one that showed up in the snow last Sunday against Kansas City. How much better is the question, as recent wins over the New York Jets and New England Patriots are not overly impressive except for the fact that those games took place on the road.
The Broncos do need to play better at home, although losing by double digits to the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers there is not something that should be a major concern. Those are arguably two of the best teams in the NFL right now, and the Chargers are certainly not in that category.
This is a game Denver should win at home, and second-year quarterback Drew Lock should be highly motivated to outshine Herbert.
Betting Pick: Broncos +3
The Broncos have played very differently this season depending on their level of competition. Denver’s four losses have come to four division leaders that have a combined record of 22-4. Los Angeles is obviously not in that same class, instead sitting somewhere in between the New York and New England teams mentioned earlier. While the Broncos should win, take the points just in case.
- The OVER is 6-1 in Los Angeles’ last 7 road games.
- The Broncos are 5-12 SU in their last 17 divisional games.
- The Chargers are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games as road favorites.
