Dolphins vs. Chargers Odds & Prediction: Make This Bet on SNF

This will be Miami’s second straight game on the West Coast, having just lost at San Francisco 33-17 on Sunday. Thus, the team has been prepping this week in Santa Clara, Calif., instead of flying home and back again. Atlanta faced a similar back-to-back road scenario in Weeks 2 (LA Rams) and 3 (Seattle) and came away with a 27-23 win against the Seahawks as a 1-point dog in the second of the back-to-back.

The Dolphins (8-4 straight up/6-6 against the spread) dropped out of first place in the AFC East with that loss to the 49ers and now stand sixth in the playoff seeding. And if the conference’s seedings hold, Miami would play at Baltimore in the wild-card round. It was in Week 2 on the road against the Ravens that the Dolphins had the biggest comeback victory in the league this season, rallying from 21 down in the fourth quarter to win 42-38.

The Chargers (6-6 SU/7-5 ATS), meanwhile, have been defeated in three of their past four outings and are one game out of the AFC wild-card mix. LA’s 27-20 loss in Las Vegas last week was the third time this year the Chargers failed to win despite at one point holding a 10-point lead. That’s tied for the league-high in games lost after having double-digit advantages.

Miami has been led by QB Tua Tagovailoa, who remains atop the passer-rating chart despite throwing two INTs in San Francisco. Until last week, the Dolphins had won all eight games in which he started and was able to finish. And although he departed late in the game with an ankle injury deemed not to be serious, he is listed as questionable.

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill also heads one of the offensive categories with 1,379  receiving yards. And when Tagovailoa isn’t targeting him, WR Jaylen Waddle has seen enough passes to total 972 yards and average 17.1 a reception. That’s a great leap from his norm of 9.8 in 2021. Although Waddle left last week’s game with an ankle issue, he’s not on the injury report this week.

Then there are the injury issues at tackle along the offensive line. The potential good news is that OLT Terron Armstead, a three-time Pro Bowler when he was with New Orleans, could return this week after sitting out versus the 49ers with a pectoral strain. The bad news is that ORT Austin Jackson (ankle) was just put on season-ending IR. But Miami made an early-week acquisition of OT Eric Fisher, a former No. 1 overall pick of Kansas City in 2013. He could help out down the stretch.

The injury news is worse for the Chargers. As usual.

LA again will be without both of its starting offensive tackles in addition to the likely absence of star center Corey Linsley (questionable, concussion). In the three games he’s missed, including last week, the Chargers are 0-3 and averaged 3.1 yards a rush.

Speaking of the ground game, RB Austin Ekeler has averaged only 39.4 yards a game (3.6 a carry) since gouging Cleveland for 173 yards in Week 5. But he has remained productive in QB Justin Herbert’s passing game, with a team-best 85 catches and 584 yards. His 12 touchdowns are tied for the second-most in the league.

Among the wide receivers, veteran Keenan Allen is expected to play in his fourth straight game after missing seven early on due to injury. But cohort Mike Williams has an ankle injury (questionable) and missed the past two games. And defensively, LB Joey Bosa, who had 10.5 sacks last year and a league-high seven forced fumbles, hasn’t played since September because of a groin injury.