The 4-1 Los Angeles Chargers take on the 4-1 Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in an AFC battle. The Chargers come to Baltimore this week after a back-and-forth win last week against the Browns. The Ravens are back home this week following an overtime win last week against the Colts.
Chargers Target the Trophy
The Chargers are a Super Bowl contender and sit atop the AFC West at 4-1. LA is ranked third in passing yards behind second-year quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert has 1576 passing yards and 13 touchdowns this season. With a 104.7 QBR, Herbert is playing at an MVP level. Running back, Austin Ekeler has 543 total yards on 67 rushing attempts and seven touchdowns.
Herbert has a couple of weapons to throw to, tight end Jared Cook and wide receivers Mike Williams and Keeran Allen. Jared Cook has 17 catches for 210 yards and one touchdown, while Williams has 31 catches for 471 yards and six touchdowns. Allen has caught 34 balls for 369 yards and one touchdown.
The Chargers get it done on the defensive side of the ball with safety Derwin James, Jr, and all-star Joey Bosa. James has 28 solo tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble. At 6’5″ and 280 pounds, Bosa anchors the defensive line and has eight solo tackles and two forced fumbles.
Ravens Soar in the AFC North
The Ravens are in first in the AFC North at 4-1. Baltimore came back last week in the fourth quarter to force the game into overtime, eventually winning 31-25. The Ravens are ranked first in total yards with 440.6 and fourth in rushing yards at 148. Lamar Jackson is having another MVP caliber year. Jackson has thrown for 1,519 yards with eight touchdowns, and his QBR is 104.4. Jackson also leads the team in rushing with 342 yards.
Wide receiver Marquise Brown has 28 catches for 451 yards and a team-high five touchdowns. Tight end Mark Andrews has 400 yards on 29 catches and two touchdowns. Linebacker Odafe Owen has a team-high three sacks, 11 solo tackles, and two forced fumbles. Cornerback Tavon Young has two sacks with nine solo tackles and one interception.
Bettors Have a Lot to Consider
In the Chargers’ last five games, they are 4-1 against the spread, with four games going under and one going over. In its last nine games, LA is 8-1 against the spread and 8-1 straight up.
The Chargers are 4-2 in their last six games against the Ravens. LA is 6-0 in the previous six games against AFC opponents. The total has gone under in five of the last six the Chargers have played against AFC opponents.
Baltimore is 5-0 in the last five games straight up at home. The total has gone over in six of the last seven home games. Head-to-head, the Ravens have gone 6-4 in the previous ten games against the Chargers. The teams split 5-5 against the spread and 5-5 on the Over/Under in the last ten meetings. Baltimore is 5-0 straight up at home.
In their previous ten games against AFC opponents, the Ravens are 7-3. The total has gone over in 14 of the last 20 games against AFC opponents. In Week 6 games, Baltimore has gone over the total in five of its last seven.
The Final Take
LA is at -110 on the moneyline the Over/Under is currently 51.5. This is a great AFC matchup between two high-powered offenses, but the Chargers win, and the game goes over.