Los Angeles vs New England (LAC -4.5, 42.5)
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Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
The New England Patriots really have something in quarterback Drake Maye. He’s a thrill to watch, and is making things happen with a current crop of receivers that doesn’t feature a bonafide star.
Maye featured on Sunday at Highmark Stadium against the Buffalo Bills, one of the toughest places to play in the NFL at the best of times, but in December? Many have fallen way short of the mark. Drake Maye however, out-threw MVP frontrunner Josh Allen on his own field, with a 22-36 performance for 261 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.
Former LSU star Kayshon Boutte shone in the game too, catching five of those passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, with the Patriots forcing the Buffalo Bills into a dog fight they hadn’t anticipated.
Had it not been for a couple of unfortunate turnovers, New England would have won that game against a Super Bowl frontrunner on the road. That’s exactly the type of encouragement you want for your young rookie quarterback, with a team rebuilding and heading in the right direction in 2025.
Now looking at their Week 17 matchup, the Chargers will have to take the Patriots extremely seriously, with their own season weighing heavily on the result.
The outcome is quite simple. Win, and they’re in. But if they lose, there are three teams waiting in the wings for a slip up, and one of them will absolutely be ready to capitalize.
As it stands, the Chargers and Broncos are 9-6. Both need one more win to secure their spot in the playoffs. But if either lose their final two games, any of the Dolphins, Colts or Bengals could steal one of those final spots from right under their noses.
The Chargers come into this one having won a closely contested battle against Denver in Week 16. The matchup between Justin Herbert and Bo nix turned out to be a thriller, in what was originally pitched as a defensive showdown between two of the league's most stubborn defensive units.
Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers remain the number one defensive unit in football, giving up just 18.3 points per game. They’re the best red zone defense, and only allow 1.9 touchdowns per game so far on the season.
So we will once again see Drake Maye face a tough battle against a strong unit, and another team likely headed for the playoffs. Still, the rookie could cause quite the stir if he has another great performance this weekend, and it would certainly make for can’t miss action in Week 18 of the AFC playoff race.
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Chargers -4