Los Angeles Chargers will host New York Giants in the NFL 2021 action on Sunday afternoon. The hosts want to secure the playoffs spot, and they eye to win the division. The away side lost all chances to enter the post-season, and they search for a good display in LA.
Los Angeles has been running hot and cold lately, and they look forward to stabilizing their form in the final weeks of the regular season. The home side has a chance to secure a higher seed by winning the AFC West, and they want to give their best shot. On the other hand, New York has another disappointing season, as they have been out of the post-season contest for a long time.
Los Angeles Chargers – Can they challenge the top of the division?
The Chargers haven’t been very consistent lately, as they booked three wins and four defeats on the previous seven occasions. Nevertheless, they are still second in the AFC West with a 7-5 record, being just one win behind Kansas City Chiefs. Los Angeles heads to this game after beating the Bengals 41-22 on the road and wants to build up on that game. Justin Herbert led them to the victory by throwing for 284 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.
Herbert has passed for 3,547 yards so far, with 27 TDs and 11 interceptions. On the other hand, the opponent’s defenders sacked him 25 times. Austin Ekeler has been the Chargers’ leading rusher with 663 yards and eight scores, while Justin Herbert and Justin Jackson have combined for 367 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have dominated the receiving game with 850+ yards each, but they will be out of the contest for this game due to Covid-19. On the other hand, Derwin James Jr. is Los Angeles’s best tackler with 100, while Joey Bosa has 7.5 sacks.
Expected Line-Up (Offense): Austin Ekeler, Andre Roberts, Joshua Palmer, Jalen Guyton, Jared Cook, Gabe Nabers, Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Michael Schofield III, Storm Norton
Expected Line-Up (Defense): Jerry Tillery, Nick Niemann, Breiden Fehoko, Kyler Fackrell, Drue Tranquill, Kenneth Murray Jr., Uchenna Nwosu, Chris Harris Jr., Derwin James Jr., Nasir Adderley, Michael Davis
Quarter Back: Justin Herbert
Kicker: Dustin Hopkins
with best odds
New York Giants – Are they capable of surprising the rival?
Although the Giants have shown some improvements lately, they are still hammered to the bottom of the NFC East. Nevertheless, two wins in the previous four rounds helped them improve to a 4-8 record. New York comes to this match after losing to the Dolphins on the road last weekend. They struggled in the offense, producing only 250 yards and making one turnover.
Daniel Jones has gone 2,428 yards through the air this season, with ten touchdowns and seven picks. However, he won’t be able to help in this match due to a neck injury. Devontae Booker and Saquon Barkley have led the Giants’ ground game with 300+ rushing yards each, while Daniel Jones is two yards away from a 300 mark. Kenny Golladay is New York’s best receiver with 409 yards, while Kadarius Toney, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard produced 300+ receiving yards each. On defense, Tae Crowder has a team-high 88 total tackles, while Azeez Ojulari logged 6.5 sacks.
Expected Line-Up (Offense): Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton, John Ross, Pharoh Cooper, Evan Engram, Elijhaa Penny, Andrew Thomas, Matt Skura, Billy Price, Will Hernandez, Nate Solder
Expected Line-Up (Defense): Dexter Lawrence, Austin Johnson, Leonard Williams, Lorenzo Carter, Tae Crowder, Reggie Ragland, Azeez Ojulari, James Bradberry, Xavier McKinney, Logan Ryan, Aaron Robinson
Quarter Back: Jake Fromm
Kicker: Graham Gano
Expert Pick #1 – Los Angeles Chargers -10 @-110
Although the Chargers haven’t been confident lately and the number is high to cover, I’ll back them as my first pick. Their best two receivers are out, but the Giants will struggle much more without Daniel Jones. Decisive battles are ahead of Los Angeles, and they should use this game to build some confidence.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 43 @-110
Despite the visitors being involved in low-scoring matches recently, I’ll go with the Over as my second bet. The Over cashed in four of Los Angeles’s last six games, and they should control this game. Their previous three encounters went over the margin as well.
Expert Pick #3 – Giants Under 16.5 @-120
On the other hand, I see New York struggling a lot without their starting quarterback. They generally had issues in the offense this season, and although the Chargers haven’t been too tight in the back, I don’t expect New York to score more than 16 points. The odds are a bit lower than in the two picks above, but I’ll take them.
