The Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets entered the season as popular playoff picks and now they are both trying to play catch-up.
The Jets have flashed recently, picking up three straight wins, including giving the Philadelphia Eagles their only loss. The Chargers struggled with a few tough games against the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, but finally got right against the Chicago Bears.
With their AFC compatriots continuing to stack wins, each game becomes more important. I wish we could pick one team to win or assert itself for our Chargers vs Jets same game parlay Monday Night Football game script. However, neither team has shown any ability to be reliable on a weekly basis.
Instead of a script, we will just be looking for value in our prop picks and trusting that these teams will stay true to the few things they have shown.
Chargers vs Jets Same Game Parlay
The Parlay (odds via FanDuel) (+972)
- Alt Under 41.5 (-130)
- Chargers First Half -1.5 (-110)
- Austin Ekeler Under 48.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
- Gerald Everett Over 2.5 Receptions (-166)
Alt Under 41.5
The Chargers offense has struggled to find consistency on the ground, and thus it has relied on the passing game for any success. The results have been positive, as the Chargers rank fifth in yards per drive, but that reliance has caused problems against quality defenses.
The Cowboys and Chiefs are the only high-quality defenses the Chargers have faced, and they quickly adapted mid-game to stop the L.A. passing attack.
Now L.A. faces a Jets defense that struggles against the run but is excellent against the pass. Even if that early strike is there for the Chargers, the Jets should be able to slow them down as the game goes on.
As for the Jets offense, they are last in yards per drive and second to last in points per drive. I am more scared of their defense blowing this and running up the score, as opposed to their offense sending it over the number.
Chargers First Half -1.5
If we are trusting these teams to be who they are, an L.A. first-half cover should be almost guaranteed. The Chargers rank fourth in first-half points per game at 16.7 while the Jets are 27th with 7.4. New York is also 1-6 against the first-half spread, per evanalystic.com.
L.A. is excellent at drawing up first-half game plans but fails to make mid-game adjustments. Even against a defense as talented as the Jets, I will trust them to do the same and jump out to an early lead.
Austin Ekeler Under 48.5 Rushing Yards
One of the reasons for the Chargers falling apart is their inability to run the ball. They have four games under 65 total rushing yards as a team. Teams have focused on running the ball against the Jets as they allow the most rushing yards per game. But, the Chargers offensive line ranks fourth-worst, per PFF, in run blocking grade. New York’s defensive front is too talented to let LA run on them.
In addition to the unit performances, L.A. just placed Josh Palmer on the IR. That puts them down to starting fourth-string Quentin Johnston across from Keenan Allen. L.A. will need viable targets in the passing game and Ekeler is an excellent one. Additional passing game usage means less utilization on the ground.
Gerald Everett Over 2.5 Receptions
Speaking of needing viable passing game options, Gerald Everett is the perfect option to pass off some of the workload to. On the year, Everett has caught 19 of 23 targets for 149 yards. He has missed this number just once in his last five games and that was against Vegas when L.A. rushed out to a 24-0 lead.
Opposing tight ends have caught at least four passes in every game against the Jets except for the Giants last week. That exception was even more so due to the weather. With wide receivers who will be outmatched by the opposing DBs, the Chargers will turn elsewhere. Ekeler is one option, but his line is too high for me. Everett at over 2.5 receptions seems like a good safe option to drop into our parlay.
Chargers vs Jets Same Game Parlay (+972)
- Alt Under 41.5
- Chargers First Half -1.5
- Austin Ekeler Under 48.5 Rushing Yards
- Gerald Everett Over 2.5 Receptions
