-
Sports Interaction Staff
Saints vs. Chargers Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 2 Odds, Prediction
The New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers will face each other in week 2 of the NFL preseason at Dignity Health Sports Park this Sunday. Both of these teams are hoping to bounce back from Week 1 losses.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Let’s take a quick look at how these teams did last season. The Los Angeles Chargers finished in second place in the AFC West. They got past the Ravens in the opening round only to be beaten by the Patriots. New Orleans finished the 2018 regular season with the best record in the league (13-3), but were (controversially) beaten by the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. This week’s 2 preseason game has the Chargers priced as -2.5 favorites.
New Orleans Saints
Even though preseason games aren’t a realistic preview of what’s to come in the regular season, it is a chance to take a look at the schemes that teams will put to use. Based on the look of the defense in week 1 of the preseason, the Saints need to go back to the drawing board to rethink things. New Orleans dropped game 1 to the Vikings 34-25. The Vikings got 213 yards on the ground and threw for 247 yards. The Saints were just okay in terms of yards allowed last season – 14th in the NFL. They tried to address the issue in free agency, adding Malcom Brown and Mario Edwards to the roster and then using three of their draft picks on defensive players. It remains to be seen if enough change was made to achieve a major improvement.
Don’t expect to see Drew Brees in this matchup, not while the backup quarterback position is still in a tightly contested fight between Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater. Both had impressive numbers in Week 1 with Hill hitting 8 of 14 passes and rushing for 45 yards, and Bridgewater hitting 14 of 19 passes and securing a touchdown. You’ll likely see both of these guys on the field this weekend.
Los Angeles Chargers
The big takeaway for the Chargers in Week 1 of this preseason, was that they need to tighten up when it comes to taking penalties. They lost last week, to the Arizona Cardinals, by a score of 17-13, a game they probably should have won. The Bolts got ten penalties in the game (10!) which lost them 85 yards in total. Last season they came in at 17th in the league for penalties and it appears not enough has been done to remedy this situation.
This week’s game will be another QB showcase as two talented quarterbacks compete to be Phillip Rivers’ third backup. Fifth round draft pick Easton Stick led in passing with 78 yards and 51 rushing yards. The next-in-running for that spot is Cardale Jones, who was 4-of-6 for 47 yards.
The Chargers brought in Tyrod Taylor to back up Rivers and he was 6-for-6 for 72 yards passing and rushed for 34 yards. Expect to see all three of them in play this weekend, as coach Anthony Lynn will likely not play Rivers.
NO
LAC