The Los Angeles Chargers are in the midst of one of their best seasons ever, sitting just one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs for top spot, not just in the AFC West but in the conference overall. Having won eight of their last nine games, they come into Sunday as 14-point favorites over a sinking Cincinnati Bengals squad. With the Chargers offense rolling, and the Bengals defense struggling, the total has also been set at 48 points.
- Los Angeles is 8-2 SU in its last 10 home games.
- Cincinnati is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 road games against teams with winning records.
- The OVER has hit in five of Cincinnati’s last six road games (avg. combined score: 56.67).
Bengals vs Chargers Game Center
MY PICK FOR SUNDAY: CHARGERS -14
If their Week 9 victory at Seattle was a signature game, then Los Angeles’ dramatic comeback victory in Week 13 at Pittsburgh may be a defining contest. Trailing 23-7 at halftime, with star running back Melvin Gordon sidelined with an injury, quarterback Philip Rivers led the Bolts back against a hot Pittsburgh Steelers defense in a 33-30 victory.
Los Angeles had some help from a number of areas. The referees missed blatant penalties on both a first-half, 46-yard touchdown strike from Rivers to Travis Benjamin, as well as on Desmond King II’s punt return touchdown in the third quarter. And the Steelers chipped in, going offside as Chargers kicker Mike Badgley missed what would have been a game-winning 39-yard field goal, then going offside two more times, ultimately leading to Badgley hitting a 29-yard kick for the win. But that doesn’t change the fact that Rivers was nearly unstoppable in the second half, as the Chargers scored on all three of their drives.
The 371 total yards by the Chargers was against a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest yards per game (328.9). The Cincinnati Bengals, their next opponent, allow the most yards per game in the league at a whopping 433.1.
The Bengals also allow the most points per game, 30.9, and have surrendered at least 24 points in seven straight games. With the way the Chargers offense has been rolling, there’s no reason to not expect another big outing from Rivers and company.
On the flip side, the Bengals offense has been pedestrian, while the Chargers defense has been a bend-but-don’t-break unit. I don’t foresee the Bengals keeping pace with Los Angeles, and with the game at the StubHub Center, I could see this getting out of hand. My money is on the Chargers to roll through a lesser opponent and keep pace in the hunt for the AFC’s top spot.
NO MELVIN? NO PROBLEM
If there were any worries that the Chargers offense would suffer without star running back Melvin Gordon, then let Week 13 serve as a little bit of comfort.
Not only did the Chargers not deviate too much from their game plan – they ran the ball 22 times – they were also effective against the league’s ninth-stingiest run defense.
Backup running back Austin Ekeler, who was promoted to starter in Gordon’s absence, had just 21 yards on 13 carries, but Justin Jackson was the story on the ground. He had eight carries for 63 yards and a touchdown, all in the second half, providing a dynamic spark that allowed Philip Rivers to open up the passing game.
Now the Chargers face a Cincinnati defense that allows a league-worst 153.3 rushing yards per game, so look for Jackson to get a full workload of carries and take advantage of a porous Bengals D.
NEW QB, SAME RESULT
While Cincinnati has been accustomed to seeing Andy Dalton under center, he hasn’t been particularly effective, as the Bengals have failed to top 300 passing yards as a team in their past seven contests.
As he is now out for the season with torn ligaments in his right thumb, the Bengals turned to rookie Jeff Driskel in Week 13. Driskel’s performance represented little – if any – drop-off from Dalton, but considering how the team’s been performing lately, that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Driskel completed 25 of 38 passes for 236 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He threw the ball with some zip and completed passes to nine different receivers.
The Bengals only managed 10 points, however, and things won’t get any easier: the Chargers defense has allowed 300 passing yards just once all season, and Driskel will again be without top receiver A.J. Green, who has now been ruled out for the season following toe surgery.
