The Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) will look for their second win of the season when they face off against the Carolina Panthers (0-1) on Sunday, September 15, at 1:00 PM ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Chargers are favored with a point spread of -6.5 (-110).
The Chargers won their season opener 22-10 over the Las Vegas Raiders. Their offense was stagnant until the fourth quarter when they scored 13 points.
Justin Herbert completed 17 out of 26 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown. J.K. Dobbins had an outstanding performance with 10 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. These two will likely take the load again when facing the Panthers, but they need to find ways to be more productive early in the game.
The Chargers had similar stats as the Raiders when it came to total yards and first downs. But, one factor that tipped this game in their favor was forcing the Raiders to three turnovers. This also helped since they needed to have turnovers themselves.
If the defense can contain the running game, the Panthers have a great opportunity to win. The Panthers' passing game is not elite, so they can afford to let them throw the ball and potentially make defensive stops there.
The Panthers recently suffered a disastrous 47-10 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. Bryce Young had issues throwing the ball accurately, and the defense allowed 30 points in the first half.
Young completed only 13 of his 30 passes for 161 yards and had two interceptions. Miles Sanders had a solid running performance with five carries for 22 yards. These two, especially Young, will need to be more effective against the Chargers.
The Panthers produced 193 yards, 11 first downs, and committed three turnovers in the 23 minutes they had possession. On defense, they allowed the Saints to get 379 yards and double their first downs.
If they are seeking their first win here, they will need better secondary coverage to slow Herbert. However, they struggled against Saints' quarterback Derek Carr, so they will likely not make the best adjustments moving forward.
Check out MyBookie for the best NFL betting odds in the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers showdown. Current odds have the Chargers as 6.5-point favorites, even though they are on the road.
Market analytics predict the Chargers' 67.4 percent chance at victory. The Chargers are much better and more consistent in a variety of positions on both sides of the ball, so they should be able to cover the spread against a struggling Panthers team.
