Read for the latest NFL Week 1 betting picks? They’re here! The Los Angeles Chargers will kick off their 2021 campaign with a visit to the capital to face the Washington Football Team on Sunday afternoon. The game will be played at FedExField and it is scheduled to begin at 1 PM. ET.
Los Angeles Chargers Analysis:
The Chargers finished last season with a 7-9 record, but they are very optimistic about their chances of making the playoffs this season, thanks to the play of quarterback Justin Herbert, who won the Rookie of the Year award.
Los Angeles averaged 21.6 points per game last season. They threw for 270.6 yards and rushed for 111.5 yards per game.
Herbert completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Austin Ekeler led the team with 530 rushing yards and one touchdown, while Keenan Allen led the team with 992 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Los Angeles wasn’t very good defensively, giving up 26.6 points per game. They made some improvements in the offseason and will be a better unit this year.
Washington Football Team Analysis:
The Football Team finished with a 7-9 record last season, which was good enough to win the NFC East. With the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants expected to be better this year, they will need more than seven wins to win the division again.
Odds for NFL Week 1 Betting Picks and Predictions
Washington averaged 20.9 points per game last season. They threw for 216.6 yards, and rushed for 100.7 yards per game. Alex Smith retired in the offseason and the team parted ways with former first round pick Dwayne Haskins. They signed Ryan Fitzpatrick in the offseason to be their starting quarterback. You can bet online Superbowl 2022 betting here.
Fitzpatrick completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while splitting time with Tua Tagovailoa in Miami last season. Antonio Gibson led Washington with 795 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while Terry McLaurin led the team with 1,118 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Washington played well defensively, giving up 20.6 points per game. They will need their defense to continue playing well if they want to make the playoffs again this year.
The Chargers are favored to win this game by one point. The over/under on total points scored is 44.5.
The Chargers played well offensively last season, but they are facing one of the top defenses in the league and will have a hard time moving the ball. However, the problem with Washington starts and stops with Fitzpatrick, who either looks like a great passer or a turnover machine. With this being his first game with the Football Team, I don’t have a lot of confidence in him, so go with the Chargers to squeak by them and cover the spread.
