There’s a new sheriff in town in head coach Jim Harbaugh, who hopes to turn around the misfortunes of the Los Angeles Chargers. But while he has one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Justin Herbert to lead the offense, there have been a lot of changes to this team.
Here is a look at what could be in store for the Chargers this season.
Los Angeles Chargers Futures Odds
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook unless noted otherwise.
Super Bowl Odds: +4500
AFC Odds: +2200
AFC West Division Odds: +320
Win Total:Â 8.5 – Over (-160)/Under (+130)
To Make/Miss Playoffs: Make (+110)/Miss (-130)
Chargers Offense
Yes, Herbert is back at quarterback, but who will he be throwing to? Gone from last season are wide receivers Mike Williams (New York Jets) and Keenan Allen (Chicago Bears), while running back Austin Ekeler is now with the Washington Commanders.
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Greg Roman is the new offensive coordinator, a coach new running back Gus Edwards is familiar with from their days with the Baltimore Ravens. And one of their biggest offseason acquisitions was the signing of veteran center Bradley Bozeman.
Chargers Defense
When you give up 63 points in a game, as the Chargers did against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 last season, there is definitely room for improvement defensively. It should be pointed out that in the three games that followed that 63-point embarrassment, the Chargers allowed 53 points total.
The Chargers went out and got linebacker Denzel Perryman from the Houston Texans and defensive lineman Poona Ford from the Buffalo Bills to try and improve a unit that ranked 20th or worse in scoring defense and total defense each of the last three seasons.
One Betting Trend To Know
Two seasons ago, the Chargers were 4-2 against the spread against fellow AFC West teams. Last season, their ATS record in divisional games was a lousy 1-5.
If the Chargers want to turn things around right away, being at least the second-best team in the division after the Kansas City Chiefs seems like a logical first step. But that will also require getting the job done against the Raiders and Denver Broncos.
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How the Chargers do against their own division will be worth following right from the start of the season, as they host the Raiders in the season opener.
Best Bet for Chargers in 2024
Based on the preseason odds, it appears as if the scenario most likely to play out with the Chargers is about nine wins, which is still not enough to make the playoffs.
However, while the schedule seems to be in favor of the Chargers getting over that 8.5-win total, I also think Harbaugh has a chance to lead this team back to the playoffs in his first season. Los Angeles has a better-than-decent chance to have five wins by the end of October.
It won’t be easy, with four of both their first and last six games coming on the road. But in a very top-heavy conference, I think there is room for a team like the Chargers to sneak into a Wild Card spot.
