Los Angeles Chargers vs New Orleans Saints Matchup

In this week 8 NFL regular season preview between Saints and Chargers, see who like to win the game and cover the spread.

FOX will broadcast the week eight non-conference matchup between the Saints and Chargers, taking place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The Chargers are favored on the money line at -354 and are -7 point favorites on the road. Kickoff is at 4:05 ET, and the over/under line is 40.5 points.

Saints vs. Chargers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NFL
Teams: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers
Where: Inglewood at SoFi Stadium
Date: Sunday, October 27th
Betting Odds LAC -7, NO +280 | LAC -354 O/U 40.5

Saints Preview:

After starting the season with two straight wins, the Saints have now dropped five in a row, including a 33-10 loss to the Broncos in week 7. This skid has dropped New Orleans to 3rd in the NFC South with a 2-5 record. According to our power rankings, they sit 28th in the NFL and have just a 6.6% chance of making the playoffs.

Against the spread, the Saints are 3-4 and have failed to cover in three straight games. Their O/U record is 5-2, with the over hitting in their last two games. New Orleans’ games have averaged 51 points this season, compared to an average line of 43.2.

Saints Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 8, the Saints are 19th in our offensive power rankings. They rank 9th in the NFL in points per game, averaging 25.3, and they are 5th in the league in first-quarter scoring. New Orleans is 16th in passing attempts and 21st in passing yards per game, with 196.6. On the ground, they rank 12th in rushing attempts and 19th in rushing yards per game, averaging 116.3. The Saints are 6th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion percentage, but they are 20th in red zone conversion percentage, despite ranking 7th in red zone attempts.

Spencer Rattler has taken over at quarterback for the Saints, throwing for 172 yards on 25/35 passing in week 7. He was sacked 6 times in the loss to Denver. Cedrick Wilson Jr. led the team with 57 receiving yards, and Kendre Miller had 36 rushing yards. New Orleans scored just 3 points in the first 3 quarters against the Broncos, before adding a touchdown in the 4th quarter.

Saints Team Defense

The Saints' defense gave up 225 yards on the ground to the Broncos in their most recent game, which was a 33-10 loss. Despite that, they held Denver to just 164 yards passing and 16 completions. New Orleans' defense struggled to generate pressure, as they didn't record any sacks and lost the QB hit differential by 11.

Overall, the Saints allowed 389 total yards and 6.4 yards per attempt on the ground. Even with their defensive struggles, they did hold the Broncos to a 36.4% third-down conversion rate.

Chargers Preview:

Heading into week 8, the Chargers sit at 3-3 after a 17-15 loss to the Cardinals in week 7. Los Angeles was a 1-point favorite but couldn’t get the win, dropping them to 18th in our power rankings. They now have a 47.8% chance of making the playoffs and a 2% chance of winning the AFC West. The Chargers are 2-1 in division games and 2-2 in the conference.

Against the spread, the Chargers are 3-2-1, including 3-1 as favorites. Their O/U record is 1-5, with their games averaging 31.5 points compared to an average line of 39.7. In week 6, they beat the Broncos 23-16, with the teams combining for 39 points, going over the 37-point line.

Chargers Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 8, the Chargers rank 22nd in our offensive power rankings, scoring 17.7 points per game, which is 23rd in the NFL. They average 300 yards per game (25th), with 183.7 passing yards (24th) on 27.7 attempts per game (25th). On the ground, they rank 18th with 116.3 rushing yards per game on 29.2 attempts (10th). The Chargers have been strong on 3rd down, converting 42.5% of their attempts, which ranks 7th in the league, and they lead the NFL in red zone conversion percentage.

Justin Herbert threw for 349 yards in week 7, completing 27 of 39 passes without a touchdown or interception. J.K. Dobbins led the rushing attack with 40 yards on 14 carries, while Will Dissly had 8 receptions for 81 yards. Los Angeles scored 6 points in the 4th quarter but failed to convert on their lone red zone opportunity against the Cardinals.

Chargers Team Defense

In their 17-15 loss to the Cardinals, the Chargers' defense gave up 181 rushing yards on just 29 attempts, including a long run of 27 yards. They did, however, hold Arizona to 145 yards passing. Despite this, the Chargers allowed the Cardinals to control the clock, holding the ball for 34:42 compared to the Chargers' 25:18 time of possession. The Chargers' defense also struggled to generate pressure, as they didn't record a sack and lost the QB hit and tackles for loss differentials.

The Chargers' defense did a good job on third downs, allowing the Cardinals to convert just 28.6% of their third-down attempts. They also came up with one interception and limited Arizona to a 53.8% completion percentage. However, the Chargers gave up a big day on the ground, as the Cardinals averaged 6.2 yards per attempt.

Saints vs Chargers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Saints have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 24 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last five home contests, the Chargers offense has averaged 16 points per game while allowing an average of 14. Los Angeles posted an overall record of 2-3 while going 2-3 ATS.
Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Saints have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
As the betting favorite, the Chargers have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Los Angeles posted a straight up mark of 6-4 in these matchups.