We all knew that the playoff fortunes of all the teams in the hunt were going to go all the way down to the wire, and we were certainly not disappointed. There were a lot of twists and turns in the final weekend of the regular season, with some teams making it in by the very skin of their teeth. Los Angeles Chargers already knew that they were going to be in, but they needed some help to have a shot at winning the division and getting a bye in the opening round.
It goes without saying that the help they required was not forthcoming, which is why they will need to go on the road to face a Baltimore Ravens team that clinched the AFC North Division crown on Sunday, although not without having to sweat things out in the final moments of their final game. The Ravens come into this one having recently beaten the Chargers on the road, which is why they are in as a 2 ½ point favorite for this one. The point total has been set at 41 ½.
Chargers at Ravens 2018 AFC Wild Card Odds & Expert Pick
- When: Sunday, January 6 at 1:05 PM EST
- Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
- TV: CBS
- Radio: SiriusXM/NFL
- Live Stream: NFL League Pass
- AFC Wild Card Game Odds: Baltimore Ravens -2.5 (Total 41.5)
New Orleans Saints 2018 NFL Postseason Betting Analysis
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Ravens lead 7-3
- Score: Chargers 20.10 / Ravens 22.30
- Rush Yards: Chargers 91.40 / Ravens 107.60
- Pass Attempts: Chargers 34.90 / Ravens 31.10
- Completion Percentage: Chargers 64.47 / Ravens 62.38
- Passing Yards: Chargers 239.70 / Ravens 198.50
- Total Yards: Chargers 331.1 / Ravens 306.1
- Turnovers: Chargers 1.60 / Ravens 1.30
Why bet on the LA Chargers?
Ironically enough, it was the loss to the Ravens in Week 16 of the regular season that basically cost them a shot at winning the AFC West. The defeat was all the more surprising when you consider that the Chargers started that one as a 4-point favorite. That loss set of a chain of events that led to these two eventually being matched together in the postseason.
The Chargers actually have a better win-loss record than the Ravens, but finishing second in the division means that they have to start this postseason on the road. Going on the road is not necessarily a bad thing for the Chargers, as they were better away than they were at home, going 7-1 SU and ATS in their 8 road trips. As the road underdog, the Chargers were 4-1 ATS.
Team Stats
Offense- Average Score For: 26.75
- Total Yards: 372.62
- Rush Yards: 117.06
- Passing Yards: 255.56
- Average Score Against: 20.56
- Total Yards: 333.69
- Rush Yards: 105.81
- Passing Yards: 227.88
Why bet on the Baltimore Ravens?
It wasn’t so very long ago that the Ravens season looked to be dead in the water, especially when starting QB Joe Flacco went down with an injury. It was the change at QB that seemed to change things for Baltimore, as they became a great deal more effective on the offensive side of the football with rookie Lamar Jackson at the helm.
The Ravens finished strong, but they ended up winning the division by the skin of their teeth, holding on late to beat the Browns 26-24 in the final week of the season. The Ravens were a positive 6-2 SU in games played at home this season, but they were just 3-5 ATS in those games. As the favorite, the Ravens went 4-7 ATS, while going 4-4 O/U in home games.
Team Stats
Offense- Average Score For: 24.31
- Total Yards: 375.13
- Rush Yards: 152.69
- Passing Yards: 222.44
- Average Score Against: 17.94
- Total Yards: 292.88
- Rush Yards: 82.94
- Passing Yards: 209.94
Los Angeles Rams 2018 NFL Postseason Betting Analysis
Chargers at Ravens AFC Wild Card Game Betting Trends
- LA is 37-18 ATS in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1992
- LA is 92-64 ATS (+21.6 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points since 1992
- Baltimore is 1-0 against the spread versus the Chargers over the last 3 seasons
- Baltimore is 1-0 straight up against the Chargers over the last 3 seasons
- 1 of 1 game in this series have gone Under the Total over the last 3 seasons
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Chargers vs Ravens
The Ravens won the previous meeting, which came just a couple of weeks ago, 22-10, but I think this one is going to be a good deal closer. I like the Ravens to win and cover, albeit by the slimmest of margins.
Score: LA Chargers 20 – Baltimore Ravens 23
