Denver at LA Chargers Week 7 Odds, Game Info & NFL Betting Pick

Denver at LA Chargers Week 7 Odds, Game Info & NFL Betting Pick

Written by on October 20, 2017

The team with the worst home-field advantage in the NFL? That would be the LA Chargers in their first year in Los Angeles and in that 30,000-set soccer stadium. It likely will be at least half-filled with Broncos fans on Sunday as these AFC West rivals play for the final time in 2017. The Bolts are slight online NFL betting favorites.

Denver at LA Chargers Week 7 Odds, Game Info & NFL Betting Pick

When: Sunday, 4:25 PM ET Where: StubHub Center TV: CBS Radio: KOA 850 AM (Denver) / KFWB 980 AM (LA) Stream Option: NFL Live Opening NFL Betting Lines: Chargers -1.5 (41.5)

Weather Forecast

  • Clear: 30°C/86°F 
  • Humidity: 24%
  • Precipitation: 0%
  • Wind: 10 mph W
  • Cloud Cover: 0%
  • Type of Stadium: Open

First Meeting

L.A. lost 24-21 in Denver in Week 1. Shelby Harris got a hand on Younghoe Koo’s 44-yard game-tying field goal try with a second left. Koo nailed the kick moments earlier, but Denver coach Vance Joseph had called a timeout to ice the kicker. Koo is no longer with the Chargers. Denver took a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter. Then came a nightmarish eight-minute stretch in which they had two turnovers that were converted into touchdowns, a missed field goal and a punt. Denver holds an all-time series advantage of 65-50-1 but just a slight 2,495-2,491 points advantage. The Chargers are 33-24-0 all-time at home against the Broncos with their last victory against the division foe coming last season (10/13/16) by the score of 21-13.

Can Packers Defy the NFL Odds for Week 7 Without Aaron Rodgers?

Series History

  • Total Meetings: 116
  • First Meeting: December 10th, 1960. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles, California
  • Last Meeting: September 11th, 2017. Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Denver, Colorado
  • All-Time Series: Denver Broncos 65-50-1
  • Largest Margin of Victory: LA Chargers 41-3 (2007)
  • Longest Win Streak: Denver 7 (1975-1978)
  • Current Win Streak: Denver 2 (2016-2017)

Why are the Broncos a Safe NFL Betting Pick?

Because they can’t play any worse than last week, a 23-10 home loss to an injury-ravaged Giants team. That was one of the biggest upsets of the season with the Broncos nearly 14-point favorites. The Giants had a goal-line stand to go with four sacks and two interceptions, double their season total. Quarterback Trevor Siemian was knocked out of the game briefly, and he lost his right tackle Menelik Watson (right calf) along with receivers Emmanuel Sanders and rookie Isaiah McKenzie to ankle injuries. Demaryius Thomas limped through a 10-catch night. Siemian will play Sunday. Probably Watson and Thomas too. Sanders and McKenzie won’t but the Broncos can breathe a sigh of relief that their injuries were not as bad as initially feared. With Cody Latimer still battling a knee injury that has sidelined him the last three weeks, the Broncos have just three healthy receivers and will have to adapt. Bennie Fowler III is expected to slide into the starting lineup after working as the No. 3 receiver the first five weeks of the season. Offensive lineman Billy Turner also will miss the Chargers game and will be week to week after suffering a fractured hand. Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph was supportive of Brandon McManus after he missed two field goals vs. the Giants. McManus didn’t just miss the kicks; they were shanks. He’s now 8-of-13 on field goal tries this season. The Broncos signed McManus to a new four-year, $14 million deal in September. The Broncos rank 12th in total offense (355.4 ypg), 14th in passing (231.8 ypg), ninth in rushing (123.6 ypg) and 16th in points (21.6). Denver ranks first in total defense (261.8 ypg), sixth in passing (191.6 ypg), second in rushing (70.2 ypg) and eighth in points allowed (19.4).

Team Statistics

Offense:
  • Average Score For: 21.60
  • Total Yards: 377
  • Pass Yards: 231.80
  • Rush Yards: 123.60
Defense:
  • Average Score Against: 19.40
  • Total Yards: 261.80
  • Pass Yards: 191.60
  • Rush Yards: 70.20

Why Are the Chargers a Safe NFL Betting Pick?

The Chargers started 0-4 but have won back-to-back close games. Last week, it was 17-16 in Oakland. Nick Novak kicked a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the game. The kick made up for a miss earlier in the game from 48 yards that Novak pushed wide right. Novak joined the Chargers after they dumped Koo a few weeks ago. Philip Rivers took over at his 8 with 4:09 to play and used two long passes by Hunter Henry to move the Chargers into field-goal range. Five straight runs by Melvin Gordon and two kneeldowns moved the ball to the 14 and drained the clock, setting the stage for Novak’s winning kick. The Chargers’ defense continues to keep games close, giving the team a chance to win games late. The Chargers forced two turnovers in holding the Raiders to 16 points and 274 total yards. Melvin Ingram (7.5) and Joey Bosa (5.5) are the NFL’s top pass rushing duo with a league-high 13 sacks between them. It had been three years since the Chargers won a road game against a divisional foe, a 31-28 victory over the Raiders in Week 4 of the 2014 season. Sunday’s win was Rivers’ 24th come-from-behind victory in his 14-year career. Are the Chargers a safe bet in NFL Week 7? Rivers has completed 141-of-230 passes (61.3-percent) for 1,633 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions for an 88.2 passer rating.  He ranks third in the NFL in pass attempts, fourth in completions and fourth in passing yards. Gordon is tied for the NFL lead with seven touchdowns (four receiving, three rushing).  He’s carried the ball 99 times for 356 yards (3.6 ypc) and caught 28 passes for 222 yards). The Chargers rank 14th in total offense (345.2 yards per game), fourth in passing (266.2 ypg), 31st in rushing (79.0 ypg) and 23rd in points (19.3). Defensively, the Bolts rank 18th in total defense (338.5 ypg), fourth in passing (186.0 ypg), 32nd in rushing (152.5 ypg) and 16th in points allowed (21.8).

Team Statistics

Offense:
  • Average Score For: 19.33
  • Total Yards: 345.17
  • Pass Yards: 266.17
  • Rush Yards: 79
Defense:
  • Average Score Against: 21.83
  • Total Yards: 338.50
  • Pass Yards: 186
  • Rush Yards: 152.50

Latest NFL Betting Trends

  • Broncos are 3-5-1 ATS in the last 9 games
  • Broncos are 4-2 SU in the last 6 games
  • The total went UNDER in 6 of Denver’s last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Chargers
  • LA Chargers are 2-8-1 ATS in the last 11 games
  • LA Chargers are 2-9 SU in the last 11 games
  • The total went UNDER in 6 of LA Chargers’s last 7 games when playing at home against Denver

Week 7 Expert Prediction & NFL Betting Pick

I was leaning toward Denver here but too many injuries. Bolts win another close game – by a field goal.