:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70559257/1363753533.0.jpg)
The Los Angeles Chargers were one win away from sliding into the NFL postseason, but a 35-32 OT loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the last game of the regular season kept them from qualifying. The Chargers finished with a 9-8 record, good for third place in the AFC West.
Justin Herbert had a solid year, being touted as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL last season. He finished with a 65.9 percent completion rate, while totaling 5,014 passing yards and 38 touchdowns throughout the season. It was a steady improvement over his rookie season, and should all but cement him as the Chargers’ first-choice QB for the foreseeable future.
Running back Austin Ekeler had a stellar year also, running for 911 yards through 16 games, blowing his previous season total of 530 out of the water. He also had 12 rushing touchdowns, while adding 647 receiving yards and another eight scores in the air. Ekeler and Herbert made a solid pairing throughout the year, and both are poised to come back even better next season.
Let’s take a look at the Chargers’ title odds ahead of next season, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Super Bowl odds: +2200
With odds at +2200, they’re not far down the list of potential Super Bowl winners. The Chargers have only made it to the Super Bowl once, back in 1995 when they were still in San Diego. They lost the title game to the San Francisco 49ers with a 49-26 finals core, and they haven’t been back to the big stage since. In fact, the Chargers haven’t qualified for the playoffs since 2018, when their trek came to an end in the Divisional Round. Justin Herbert and company will look to rectify that in the 2022-23 season.
Conference odds: +1200
LA comes in fourth place as far as odds to finish as the AFC winners next season, just behind the Chiefs (+400), Bengals (+650), and the Broncos (+1100). If they really want to improve their chances, coach Brandon Staley will need to find ways to improve the defense, as they left a ton of room for improvement from last season. The offense seemed to click for the most part, with guys like Herbert, Ekeler, and WR Keenan Allen turning in some fairly big performances.
Division odds: +400
The Chargers have the second-best odds to win the AFC West Division next season, with just the Chiefs ahead of them with odds at -175. It’ll be interesting to see what moves Staley and the staff will end up making, as Staley has been known to be a more defensive-minded coach and should be expected to plug the holes his defense showed last year. If they can shore up both the passing and rushing defenses, they’ll be real contenders to take the division crown and make a deep playoff run.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.