The AFC West has a most interesting race in process. All four teams have winning records with the Kansas City Chiefs leading the division by one game over the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos, all teams with 6-5 season won/loss records.
A few weeks ago the defending AFC Champion Chiefs were alone in the AFC West cellar, now they are alone atop the division. This week, they host the Denver Broncos, who surprisingly have the best points for and against stat in the division. Both the Raiders and Chargers are minus in points scored and allowed while the Broncos are plus 32, one better than the plus 31 enjoyed by the Chiefs.
Now, everybody continues to rave about the Chargers quarterback, Justin Herbert, and while his team has won six games this year they have lost five of their most recent point spread decisions.
Are the Chargers overrated?
No.
Then what gives?
Los Angeles has gone from one tough motivational and situational spot to another for the past two months. Since their Week Five triumph over the Cleveland Browns at SoFi Stadium, 47-42, the Chargers have twice lost by more than a touchdown. In Week Six they got crushed at Baltimore by the Ravens, an understandable loss coming off their emotional win against the Browns. Last Sunday, they got beat by the Broncos in Denver, another understandable defeat given they went into the game a bet-on road favorite against a division opponent that trailed them in the standings.
Five weeks ago, the Chargers were favored over the New England Patriots before the football world knew just how good Mac Jones and Company were becoming. They also suffered a narrow defeat at home against the Minnesota Vikings as a favorite. One of their two wins since October 10th was a point spread loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, while their only victory against the line was a three point win in Philadelphia when they were a pick ‘em against the Eagles.
This week, they are underdogs for the first time since their mid-October loss to the Ravens.
The public had continued to back the Chargers chances while they were losing, while this week they have gone against Herbert and Company for their meeting with the AFC North Division Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are one game back of the Ravens in the divison standings, and Baltimore is in Pittsburgh on Sunday to battle the Steelers.
The Bengals are also coming off one of the biggest wins in recent Cincinnati history over the Steelers. The win marked the second time this year that the Bengals downed their long time division rivals.
Don’t you know that the Bengals have had a heck of a week celebrating their lopsided win over the Steelers, 41-10, and are confident that they are going to handle the Chargers?
What we have here is the first positive point spread spot for Los Angeles since a fourth week of the season game against the Las Vegas Raiders … a contest they won by two touchdowns.
Whether they win this game on the road by double-digits seems a long shot, but from a motivational perspective it is a lot more likely than most think.
And that includes the Bengals.
Qoxhi Picks: Los Angeles Chargers (+3) over the Cincinnati Bengals