The Patriots made the playoffs once in five years since Tom Brady left the organization. For a franchise that reached the postseason nearly every year of Brady’s career, that may have felt like forever to fans.
New England ends that drought and is once again one of the best teams in the NFL. No, Brady isn’t back, but it seems the Patriots have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. He led the organization to its first AFC East title since Brady (2019).
As a reward, the Patriots get home-field advantage during Wild Card Weekend as they host the Chargers. Los Angeles earned the No. 7 seed, while New England is the No. 2 seed.
Here are the opening odds via DraftKings Sportsbook for the 2026 AFC Wild Card Round matchup between the Patriots and Chargers.
Patriots vs. Chargers Opening Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook
The Patriots open as 3.5-point favorites and -185 on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +154. The over/under is set at 45.5 points.
Despite being a No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup, this is expected to be a close game. The Chargers finished the season 11-6 and on a two-game losing streak, but they picked up a few notable wins throughout the year.
Both teams are inexperienced, as it’ll be Justin Herbert’s third postseason start and second with Jim Harbaugh as the head coach. Meanwhile, this is Maye’s playoff debut. It’s time to see if he’s just as efficient in the playoffs as he is in the regular season.