Los Angeles Chargers betting outlook: Can Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel finally deliver?
When a team seemingly has it all but falls short or can’t put it together, it becomes increasingly frustrating for fans and sports bettors alike. There are a few teams like this in the NFL, but one that seems to keep knocking on the door of being elite but coming up short is the Los Angeles Chargers. Do we think they can get over the hump this season?
The Chargers were one of the better teams last year, but their season ended on a bit of a sour note. The team went 11-6 overall with losses to the Giants, Commanders, Colts, Jaguars, Texans, and Broncos. They also lost to the Patriots in the playoffs, showing almost no life at all on offense. Justin Herbert, their quarterback, has now gone 0-3 in the postseason with almost no impressive performances. He has to make some progress from last year’s 16-3 loss if they can make it back to the postseason.
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If anyone is going to break Herbert out of the frustrating postseason performances, the Chargers are hoping it will be Mike McDaniel. I’m not really a McDaniel fan. He is going to be the offensive coordinator after being a head coach seemingly more interested in fashion and bad jokes for the Dolphins. However, I will give him that the Dolphins offense, when healthy, was dynamic. Herbert is a better quarterback than anyone McDaniel had. They did lose Odafe Oweh to free agency, but they re-signed Khalil Mack and then drafted Akheem Mesidor with their first-round pick. They also upgraded their center, which should go with an already strong offensive line.
I like the mixture of players the Chargers have. The offense should be interesting with Herbert and McDaniel teaming up. I think that McDaniel will absolutely try everything and anything to get Herbert rolling. Omarion Hampton was solid in his rookie season, but injuries did derail it a bit. I don’t think he will be De’Von Achane good, but he should be decent. Ladd McConkey was spectacular for the Chargers and will be the main target for Herbert once again. I don’t see a ton of standout players on the defensive side of the ball, but if anyone can get the most out of them, it is head coach Jim Harbaugh.
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In six seasons as a head coach, Harbaugh has had exactly one season where his team didn’t make the playoffs, and one season where he didn’t win at least 11 games. The 49ers went 8-8 in 2014, and he then left the team to go coach at Michigan. They have a total of 9.5 games this year, and I’m not sure why we would want to bet against Harbaugh. I do think the offense should be better, even if the defense will probably be a little worse. Instead of that, if I play anything on the Chargers, it will be Herbert over 3650.5 passing yards. He has gone over that number in every season except for 2023, when he fell just short and played in 13 games. I also expect him to go over 25.5 touchdowns. That is just 3-3 in his career, but he hit 25 in 2022, 20 in 2023, and 23 in 2024. With McDaniel, he should be primed to increase his numbers, not decrease.
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