Chargers’ Super Bowl Odds Listed at +2500 After Melvin Gordon Ends Holdout

• LA Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is set to end his holdout this week
• His return is welcome news for an injury-riddled Chargers team
• But the news hasn’t moved the needle on LAC’s Super Bowl 54 chances

The news that running back Melvin Gordon is ending his his three-month-long holdout has LA Chargers fans feeling optimistic, but it’s done nothing in the eyes of oddsmakers.

The Chargers remain +2500 Super Bowl longshots. LA’s average  Super Bowl odds were +3500 at last check.

Odds to Win Super Bowl 54

*Odds taken on 09/26/19.

Gordon’s Return Comes Just in Time for Struggling Chargers

Gordon began his holdout in July with a demand for a new, lucrative contract, but with the NFL season entering Week 4 and the Chargers refusing to bend to his demands, the 26-year-old has opted to play out the final year of his current contract.

Gordon is likely to make his season debut next week in the team’s Week 5 clash with the Denver Broncos and his return cannot come soon enough for a Chargers’ squad riding a two-game SU slide.

Los Angeles has blown halftime leads in all three of their outings this season. After rebounding to salvage a 30-24 overtime win over Indianapolis in Week 1, the Chargers were blanked after recess in a 13-10 road loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 2.

They followed up with another ugly second-half performance in last weekend’s 27-20 loss to the Houston Texans, a game they led 17-7 at the break.

Ekeler Likely to Carry Load in Short Term

Third-year RB Austin Ekeler has been steady in an expanded role over the first three weeks of the season, averaging over 122 yards of total offense and scoring four touchdowns. Yet, even with Ekeler producing, the Chargers have mustered just 20 points per game without Gordon in the lineup this season, and only 24 points per game in seven outings without him since the start of the 2018 campaign.

Ignore the commentary. This is pure power from Austin Ekeler: pic.twitter.com/ueyWBJynfT

— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) September 22, 2019

Without the benefit of a full training camp, it may take some time for Gordon to return to the form that generated 1,375 total yards and 14 touchdowns in just 12 appearances last season.

Chargers Benefit from Favorable Schedule

Los Angeles enjoys a favorable schedule over the next three weeks, with matchups against three currently winless opponents. After visiting the freefalling Miami Dolphins this weekend, the Chargers return home to face the Broncos in Week 5, followed by a visit from the 0-3 Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. That trio of games should provide ample opportunity to rebound from a 1-2 start.

Here are your 2019-2020 Chargers schedule!!! pic.twitter.com/hvE5CqvoAC

— ⚡️ChargersLegion⚡️ (@ChargersLegion) April 18, 2019

Of course, slow starts are nothing new for the Chargers. Los Angeles rebounded from a 1-2 start last season, finishing with a 12-4 record and their first playoff berth in five years. The Chargers also overcame a 0-4 start in 2017, finishing just outside the playoff picture with a 9-7 record, and overcame a 1-2 start to claim a wild card berth back in 2013.

The Chargers will also benefit from four combined games against the Broncos and Oakland Raiders. The two AFC West rivals have earned just one total win over the Chargers in the last seven meetings.

Shaky Offense, Injuries Diminish Super Bowl Hopes

But while a favorable schedule and struggling divisional rivals leave the Chargers with reasonably short +115 odds to make the AFC playoffs , the team must find ways to shore up a mediocre defense that has surrendered over 363 total yards per game, and 18 or more second-half points in two of this season’s three outings.

More bad injury news for the #Chargers: S Adrian Phillips, who hurt himself trying to tackle #Lions RB Kerryon Johnson Sunday, broke his arm, source said. He’s out for several weeks, but it may not be season-ending. He had been filling in for star Derwin James.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2019

The Chargers have also been hit by a rash of injuries, most notably to safety Adrien Phillips and wide receivers Travis Benjamin and Mike Williams. The team’s wounded have a chance to heal before opening a tough four-game stretch that includes matchups with Chicago, Green Bay, and Kansas City. Those dates are likely to define the squad’s season, which without marked improvement over the next month, will end with another playoff disappointment, at best.