No team had a worse preseason than the Indianapolis Colts because they lost star quarterback Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement. The Colts try and pick up the pieces at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. This NFL Betting Line moved toward the Bolts following Luck calling it quits.
How to Bet Colts at Chargers NFL Week 1 Betting Lines & Game Info
- When: Sunday, 4:05 PM ET
- Where: Dignity Healthy Sports Park
- TV: CBS
- Radio: SiriusXM/NFL
- Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
- NFL Week 1 Betting Lines: Los Angeles Chargers -6.5 (Total 44.5)
Titans vs Browns 2019 NFL Week 1 Odds, Game Info & Prediction
Last Meeting
In Week 3 of the 2016 season, the Chargers lost 26-22 in Indianapolis. Andrew Luck threw a perfect strike to TY Hilton with 1:17 to play, and Hilton spun out of a tackle and zig-zagged 63 yards down the field for a touchdown.
Luck finished 24 of 37 for 331 yards with one TD and one interception. Philip Rivers was 26 of 39 for 330 yards for the Chargers without a touchdown or interception. Melvin Gordon ran for a score.
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 22°C/71°F
- Humidity: 65%
- Precipitation: 21%
- Cloud Cover: 74%
- Wind: 10 mph NNE
- Stadium Type: Open
Why Bet on Indianapolis?
With Andrew Luck having retired, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett suddenly had a ton of leverage and he was able to get a two-year, $30 million extension from Indy. Brissett was in the final year of his four-year, $3.41 million rookie deal that included a 2019 base salary of $2 million.
Brissett had two weeks to learn the playbook before taking over as the starter for the final 15 games of the 2017 season when Luck was out following surgery. The Colts went 4-11 in those games and he is 5-12 as a starter overall. Brissett has thrown for 3,500 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his career. Brissett will have a deep group of weapons to throw to featuring T.Y. Hilton, Chester Rogers, Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle and newcomers Devin Funchess and Parris Campbell.
To make sure the team had someone with experience behind Brissett, it signed QB Brian Hoyer to a three-year, $12 million contract. Hoyer was also pursued by Denver following his release from New England. Hoyer is on his eighth team in 11 NFL seasons.
Running back Marlon Mack had a breakout of sorts last season as he averaged 84 yards from scrimmage per game and scored 10 touchdowns, including five 100-yard rushing game (including playoffs).
Injury-wise, slot cornerback Kenny Moore remains on track for Week 1. DC Matt Eberflus said it was “business as usual” this week. Moore broke his thumb a little over a week ago.
>Team Stats (Last 10 Games)
- Score: 21.20
- Rush Yards: 65.70
- Pass Attempts: 44.80
- Completion Percentage: 62.28
- Passing Yards: 313.20
- Total Yards: 378.9
- Turnovers: 2.30
Why Bet on LA Chargers?
The Bolts will open the season without two of their best players in running back Melvin Gordon, who is holding out, and safety Derwin James, who is injured. It doesn’t appear the Chargers are close to a deal with Gordon and there are reports the Philadelphia Eagles offered former Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard and a swap of mid-round draft picks in exchange for the disgruntled ball-carrier. That was obviously rejected.
L.A. general manager Tom Telesco has already announced he won’t renegotiate Gordon’s contract until after the 2019 season, and teams are apparently hesitant to part with the kind of draft capital the Chargers are seeking for his services. The Chargers are reportedly looking for a 2020 first-round pick, which would be a ton for a team to give up just for the rights to pay Gordon a market value contract. Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will share carries in place of Gordon. The Chargers went 4-0 without him in 2018, but they only averaged 84.0 rushing yards per game, which would’ve been good for 31st in the league if prorated over the whole season.
James is on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least half the season. That was expected after James underwent surgery for a foot injury. The surgery took place on August 22 and had an anticipated 3-4 month recovery time, so James will probably not be back until late in the year. As a rookie last season, James was a first-team All-Pro.
Chargers coach Anthony Lynn named Dan Feeney the team’s starting left guard over Forrest Lamp. Overshadowed by Melvin Gordon’s holdout is the fact the Chargers will field one of the league’s most underwhelming offensive lines. Starting left tackle Russell Okung is on the Non-Football Illness List after reportedly suffering from a pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots in the offseason. That means he’ll be out at least the first six weeks of the season.
Team Stats (Last 10 Games)
- Score: 24.70
- Rush Yards: 118.40
- Pass Attempts: 31.00
- Completion Percentage: 64.19
- Passing Yards: 228.70
- Total Yards: 347.1
- Turnovers: 1.60
Falcons vs Vikings 2019 NFL Week 1 Odds, Preview and Pick
Colts vs Chargers NFL Week 1 Betting Trends
- Colts are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
- Colts are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games against LA Chargers
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indianapolis’ last 5 games on the road
- Chargers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games played in September
- Chargers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games played in week 1
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Chargers’ last 5 games at home
Expert Final Score Prediction for Colts vs Chargers
Indianapolis Colts 23 – Los Angeles Chargers 24
