Dolphins vs. Chargers Point Spread: NFL Week 1 Odds, Prediction
Two electric offences go head-to-head in Week 1 of the NFL season as Justin Herbert and the Los Angels Chargers prepare to host Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The Chargers are 3.0-point home favourites on the NFL odds, while the total is sitting at 51.0.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
These teams are an even 5-5 straight up and against the spread over the last 10 head-to-heads. They met in Week 14 last year, with L.A. winning 23-17 at SoFi Stadium. Herbert completed 39 of 51 pass attempts for 367 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa struggled heavily, completing just 10 of 28 pass attempts for 145 yards and a touchdown.
Miami’s season win total is set at 9.5, but because they are in a tough AFC East division, they are essentially a pick’em to make or miss the playoffs. The Dolphins are +2185 to win the Super Bowl, +1595 to win the AFC outright and +298 to win the AFC East.
The Chargers’ regular season win total is set at 9.5 and they are listed at -125 to make the playoffs. L.A. is +2251 to win the Super Bowl, +997 to win the AFC outright and +291 to win the AFC West.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were scorching hot to start the season last year, but injuries to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa derailed the team as they lost five of their last six regular season games. Miami finished the year with a 9-8 record and lost to Buffalo in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Tagovailoa’s health is key for the Dolphins to have success this year. He threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in 13 games last season and led the NFL in passer rating (105.3), but he also suffered two concussions that threatened his career.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle remain Miami’s most dangerous receiving threats. Hill had the second-most receptions (119) and receiving yards (1,710) in the NFL last season, while hauling in seven TDs. Waddle had the seventh-most receiving yards (1,356) in the NFL in 2022 and added eight TDs despite having just 75 receptions.
Los Angeles Chargers
After finishing 10-7 last season, the Chargers are a popular dark horse Super Bowl pick in 2023 as they look to put an embarrassing playoff loss behind them. L.A. blew a 27-0 lead against Jacksonville in the Wild Card round, eventually losing 31-30 on a last-second field goal. There are high expectations for quarterback Justin Herbert after he signed a massive deal in the off-season which will make him the highest paid player in NFL history. Herbert finished with the second-most passing yards (4,739) and completions (477) in the league last season and had a 25-10 TD-INT ratio.
Another key part of the Chargers’ offence is running back Austin Ekeler, who looks poised to stay with the team despite asking for a trade in the off-season. Ekeler is a dual-threat as one of the best receiving backs in the NFL. Ekeler has led the league in touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, scoring 38 TDs in 33 games. Last season, he had 13 rushing TDs and five receiving TDs. Ekeler also had the fifth-most receptions (107) in the league.
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