NFL Win Total Betting – Predicting Chargers’ Wins in 2020

Calling the Chargers’ past season a disappointment might be the understatement of the century. After going 12-4 in 2018 and knocking off the Ravens in the playoffs, most figured the Bolts were a shoo-in to qualify for the postseason in 2019.

Instead, things went south quickly, and Anthony Lynn was unable to recover.

Rather than focus on what went wrong, let’s look on the bright side. The Chargers have a new stadium and a new quarterback, both of which breathe some fresh air into the lungs of the entire organization.

Can LA get back on track and start winning some meaningful games, or was what we saw last year a sign of what’s to come?

A look at my Los Angeles Chargers win total predictions for 2020 zeroes in on that very question.

Coming off such a disastrous performance in 2019, I was anticipating the top-ranked NFL sportsbooks installing the Chargers’ win total for 2020 at 6.5 games. As rock-solid as the defensive unit should be, there’s a big question mark at the quarterback position.

Tyrod Taylor is yet to sustain success as an NFL starter, and who knows what we’re going to see out of Justin Herbert in his rookie campaign?

At the same time, was quarterback play really what held this team back last season?

The reality of the situation is that Philip Rivers threw 20 interceptions — more than any QB not named Jameis Winston or Baker Mayfield. It didn’t help that Melvin Gordon was a major distraction, and the tipping point of the whole downswing was when Derwin James got hurt in practice before the season began and had to miss the team’s first 11 games.

Well, Rivers is now in Indianapolis, Gordon is a member of the Broncos, and Derwin James is healthy and ready to ball out.

Look to see a hungry and motivated bunch that surges to at least eight victories.

The NFL didn’t do Anthony Lynn many favors when they created the Chargers’ 2020 NFL schedule. Hosting Kansas City in week 2 and traveling to Tampa Bay and New Orleans in back-to-back weeks (week 4 and week 5) aren’t exactly the types of games you hope to see early on. It’s incredibly important that LA beats the Bengals to kick off the year. Otherwise, it could be a pretty grim start for the Bolts’ fan base.

The saving grace is that this franchise tends to “play up” to their competition and has a knack for beating the top-tier teams. Joey Bosa is one of the truly elite pass rushers we have in this sport, and Kenneth Murray is a rookie linebacker who will make his presence felt straight from the get-go.

If it turns out that Justin Herbert was the right pick for the Chargers, the Rams may eventually take a back seat at SoFi Stadium.

It’s a stretch to think 10 or more wins are in sight in the upcoming year, but we can safely bank on LA winning a minimum of 5 games. This is by far the safer of the two Los Angeles Chargers win total predictions for 2020.

The Chargers are laying 3 points to the Bengals in what will be Joe Burrow’s first taste of NFL action. You can find all of the week 1 NFL betting lines here, but make sure you keep tabs on the LA vs. Cincy matchup. With Tyrod Taylor at the helm and a swarming Chargers defense, backing the Bolts could make a lot of sense.

Speaking of Tyrod Taylor being under center, it may start out that way, but don’t expect it to last very long. Tom Telesco didn’t spend the 6^th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft just so he could watch Justin Herbert hold a clipboard on the sidelines. Aside from nabbing the former Oregon QB to win the OROY, there are multiple Justin Herbert prop bets waiting for you at the best NFL betting sites.

If you want to be bold and capture the Chargers winning the AFC West, you can grab hold of LA at a favorable price (+800). The issue is that means they’d have to get by the Chiefs, and I definitely don’t see that happening.