- The Los Angeles Chargers are six and a half point favorites at their shared stadium against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.
- The Chargers are expected to play their starters for one or two series, while the Rams will rest all of their starters.
LOS ANGELES – The two Los Angeles franchises of the NFL will face each other in Week 2 of the NFL preseason as the Rams “host” the Chargers on Saturday night at 7 PM EST at SoFi Stadium.
Chargers vs Rams Game Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | -6.5 (-110) | -280 | O 38.0 (-115) |
| Rams | +6.5 (-110) | +230 | U 38.0 (-105) |
Legal sports betting sites give the Chargers -280 odds to defeat their stadium-mates on Saturday, setting the spread at six and a half points, quite a large line for preseason play.
Will The Starters Play?
The Chargers will play their starters in this game, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh, including quarterback Justin Herbert. The starters are expected to play one or two series for LA.
Herbert has never made a preseason appearance in his career, so it will be the first preseason start for the veteran entering his sixth NFL season.
The Rams, on the other hand, are not expected to play their starters in this one. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was always a long shot to make an appearance this preseason while dealing with a back injury.
Preseason Performance
The Chargers have looked like a preseason powerhouse through two games, going 2-0 including a 34-7 blowout of the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame game.
On offense, they’ve been led by former #3 overall pick Trey Lance who has shown major improvements to his game. Against Detroit, Lance completed 13 of 20 pass attempts for 120 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
He was not as impressive against New Orleans, going 7-14 for just 55 yards, but was able to showcase his mobility, rushing seven times for 48 yards and a score.
The Rams had no trouble moving the ball against the Cowboys, totalling 364 yards of offense with Stetson Bennett at the helm, winning 31-21.
Bennett went 16-24 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The rushing attack saw nine different ball carriers combine for 181 yards on the ground on 38 attempts, good for 4.8 yards per carry as a team.
Their pass defense did the job against Joe Milton, allowing just 149 yards through the air but allowed 148 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry.
Betting Angle
The Chargers having their starters to begin the game gives them a nice boost to the odds, but their talent behind the starters is not quite overwhelming compared to the Rams, so a six and a half point spread seems a little rich.
The best pick at NFL betting sites is the Chargers to win outright at -280 odds. While it is not the best value in the world, Herbert and the starters should be able to get out to an early lead and have the backups maintain enough of a lead to take it home.
