This matchup features two teams capable of representing the AFC in the Super Bowl as the Miami Dolphins travel to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in a week 1 matchup. Which team will come away with the win in this game one Sunday afternoon? Let’s take a look at how these teams are projected to play this season.

The Miami Dolphins finished the 2023 NFL Preseason with a record of 1-2 with a win on the road against the Houston Texans by a score of 28-3 and losses at home against the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 3-19 and on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 18-31. The Dolphins finished the 2022 NFL season with a record of 9-8 which led to a 2^nd place finish in the AFC East and the Dolphins making the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 NFL season. 

Miami lost in the Wild Card round on the road against the Buffalo Bills by a score of 31-34. This season, the Miami Dolphins enter the year with an over/under win total of 9.5 wins and based on Vegas odds are projected to finish in 2^nd place in the AFC East only behind the Buffalo Bills.

Los Angeles finished the preseason with a record of 2-1 with wins on the road against the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 34-17 and the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 23-12 while losing at home against the New Orleans Saints by a score of 17-22. 

The Chargers finished last season with a record of 10-7 which led to a 2^nd place finish in the AFC West and Los Angeles making the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 NFL season. The Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round by a score of 30-31. 

This year, Los Angeles enters the season with an over/under win total of 9.5 wins and based on Vegas odds are projected to be the 2^nd best team in the AFC West only behind the Kansas City Chiefs.

BookMaker has the Los Angeles Chargers listed as 3-point favorites at home against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon in week 1 of the NFL season. The teams have split the last ten games in the series and both have gone 5-5 ATS in those matchups while the Chargers have won two of the last three games and have gone 2-1 ATS in those contests. 

Miami finished last season with a record of 10-8 ATS overall, 5-5 ATS on the road, and 5-3 ATS as an underdog while the Los Angeles Chargers finished last season with a record of 11-6-1 ATS overall, 4-3-1 ATS at home, and 6-5-1 ATS as a favorite.

Both teams are talented and both should be in the playoffs this season, however, I am giving the slight edge to the Los Angeles Chargers because they are playing at home and have been the better team most recently in the series, winning two of the last three games while going 2-1 ATS in those matchups. As a result, I am taking the Los Angeles Chargers -3 at home against the Miami Dolphins in week 1 of the NFL season on BookMaker.