The NFL Week 8 slate features several divisional rivalries, but one of the matchups that we don’t see nearly as often is one that will be at SoFi Stadium with the Los Angeles Chargers hosting the New Orleans Saints. Both teams have work to do when it comes to maintaining relevance in the playoff race, and we’ve got our best Saints vs. Chargers predictions for you.

Alongside the best bet from our Saints vs. Chargers picks will be a monster $1,500 BetMGM Sportsbook new user promo!

 

 

 

Saints vs. Chargers Predictions for NFL Week 8, Sunday 10/27

The last time we saw a Saints vs. Chargers matchup was back in 2020, so it’s safe to say that both teams look very different. Truthfully, that could be said if these teams had played just last season, or better yet, as recently as the first few weeks of this year!

After just the first two weeks of the season, we had folks discussing the Saints as Super Bowl contenders thanks to outscoring opponents by a whopping 91-29. Well, that was very short-lived, as they’ve since lost five straight.

The last we saw the Chargers, they were the final team of Week 7 to suffer a loss as the second game of the Monday doubleheader, which also came in the final seconds. While these teams are struggling to find their footing, we’ve still got a top pick from our Saints vs. Chargers predictions for you.

 

 

 

New Orleans Saints: Relying On Rattler

An argument can be made that New Orleans’ struggles have been due to the fact that an injury to QB Derek Carr has forced them to thrust rookie QB Spencer Rattler into the spotlight. It’s certainly a legitimate take, but their downturn began even prior to that.

Regardless, it looks as though they’ll be relying on Rattler yet again in Week 8. We saw Carr return to the practice field on Wednesday, and while he returned to throwing, the team was also quick to note that he is unlikely to play this Sunday. So, can Rattler navigate his way through a Chargers defense that has otherwise been stingy.
 

 

 

Los Angeles Chargers: Accepting A Franchise Shift

That’s a perfect segue into our focus on the LA side of this matchup. It has become very evident that the offseason changes have done exactly what we expected - cause a shift in the way this team needs to win games.

Long gone are the days of explosive offense with the likes of dual-threat RB Austin Ekeler and dynamic WR duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. While QB Justin Herbert is still under center, he simply doesn’t have the weapons around him anymore. 

Along with new head coach Jim Harbaugh also being more defensively-focused, the team needs to accept that low-scoring, grind-it-out games may be preferential for them. 
 

 

 

Saints vs. Chargers Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

Despite both teams not being world-beaters, the Saints vs. Chargers odds still display a clear favorite for Sunday, and we have the latest lines at BetMGM Sportsbook for you here:

 

 

Saints vs. Chargers Predictions: New Orleans +7.5 (-105 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

After having shared the Saints’ woes as of late, you may be surprised that the best bet from our Saints vs. Chargers picks is focused on the New Orleans point spread. However, with us getting them above the key number of seven, we’re happy to grab that value.

This primarily boils down to the fact that we don’t feel as though the Chargers should be favored by more than a touchdown over any team, even if they’re at home. Frankly, if there is one location in which home field matters the least, it’s Los Angeles.

We’ve even heard players say that it feels more like an away game at times, so that certainly isn’t a benefit for the Chargers. We’d also suggest considering the under after what we went through about the LA franchise shift. After all, the Chargers have scored more than 15 points just once in their past four games.

As most fans know, the lower scoring the game, the more it favors the underdog. That is especially true with a total as low as 40 and a point spread as high as seven! While LA may be able to keep Rattler and company in check, we don’t expect it to even take 20 points to keep this game within the point spread.

LA may very well get the win, but we’re still making the top pick from our Saints vs. Chargers predictions on New Orleans +7.5 (-105 at BetMGM Sportsbook).  
 

 

 

Saints vs. Chargers Injury Report & Latest News

While Carr was the primary injury note for our Saints vs. Chargers predictions, we still have the full Thursday practice report for you below: 

NO Saints:

LA Chargers:

 

 

 

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