Expert Top Pick of the Day: Los Angeles Chargers vs Indianapolis Colts
The Los Angeles Chargers clash tonight with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. The Chargers are looking to remain in the playoff race.
The Chargers and Colts meet in an AFC battle tonight from Lucas Oil Stadium to wrap up Week 16 in the NFL. These teams last met in 2019, with the Chargers taking a 30-24 win at home. Los Angeles is 8-6, is second in the AFC West, and currently holds the sixth seed in the playoff standings. They now look for their third straight win to help them secure a spot in the postseason.
The Colts continue their fall toward the bottom of the AFC standings and have lost four straight and seven of their last eight games. They’re now 4-9-1 on the season and are third in the AFC South standings. In their previous game, Indy held a 33-0 lead over the Minnesota Vikings at halftime, only to allow the biggest comeback in NFL history and lose the game 39-36 in overtime.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts Schedule
- Date: Monday, December 26, 2022
- Time: 08:15 PM EST
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
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Chargers Hope To Stay In Playoff Hunt
The Chargers are coming off a huge win at home against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. Tennessee tied the game 14-14 with 48 seconds left, but the Chargers needed just one big play to get into field goal range, where Cameron Dicker’s 43-yard field goal with four seconds left gave them the victory. A win tonight would solidify their sixth seed in the conference with two games remaining.
Quarterback Justin Herbert has thrown for 4,019 yards and 21 touchdowns with nine interceptions for LA. The Chargers’ rushing attack is led by Austin Ekeler, who has 692 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He also has 95 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Joshua Palmer leads the Chargers in receiving yards with 714 and has three scores.
Colts Hope To Snap Losing Streak
The Colts have one win in their previous eight games, with their defense giving up 93 points in their previous two contests. Last week, they gave up 581 total yards to the Vikings in an embarrassing loss.
They also lost Jonathan Taylor for the remaining three games after he left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Nick Foles has been elevated to the starting quarterback role for this game after Matt Ryan was benched for failing to perform in the second half of the last game.
Ryan has thrown for 3,057 yards and 14 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, and Taylor is the team’s leading rusher with 861 yards and four touchdowns. Michael Pittman Jr. is the Colts’ top receiver, with 86 receptions for 815 yards and two touchdowns.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts Odds Comparison
The Chargers are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven road games, and the total has gone under in five of their previous seven games. The Colts are 6-1 in their last seven games against the AFC West, and the total has gone over in four of their previous five games.
- DraftKings has the Chargers at -200 on a spread of -4, and the total is 45.
- FanDuel has the Chargers at -205 on a spread of -4, and the total is 45.5.
- Caesars has the Chargers at -210 on a spread of -4, and the total is 45.5.
Godds Pick or Prediction of the Game
The Chargers must win to stay alive in the AFC playoff race, while the season is long over for the Colts, whose offense is in shambles. They might be motivated to recover from last week’s collapse but will have a challenge keeping up with the Chargers’ high-powered offense.
- Godds Pick/Prediction: The Chargers win, and the total goes over.