Upcoming Match-ups

LA Chargers vs Seattle Seahawks Odds, Betting Lines, and Picks

Chris Amberley

by Chris Amberley in NFL Football

Updated Aug 27, 2021 · 8:30 PM PDT

Russell Wilson gestures from sideline
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson gestures from the sideline during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
  • The Seattle Seahawks are 5.5-point home favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in preseason action on Saturday (August 28th, 10:10 pm ET)
  • Seattle is expected to give Russell Wilson and the starters at least some action, while LA is resting almost all of its key starters
  • Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

The preseason finale for the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks will take place Saturday (August 28th) with each team having very different motives for the contest. LA, like it has done for the first two weeks, will rest virtually all of its key starters, but that won’t be the case for Seattle.

Russell Wilson and most of the key Seahawks starters are expected to see at least some action on Saturday, but exactly how many series is unknown.

Chargers Seahawks Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
LA Chargers +200 +5.5 (-110) O 35 (-110)
Seattle Seahawks -250 -5.5 (-110) U 35 (-110)

Odds as of August 26th at DraftKings.

The Seahawks are currently 5.5-point favorites, in a game that features a total of 35. 60% of the spread bets so far are on the Chargers, while 52% of the total tickets are on the over.

Game time is scheduled for 10:10 pm ET at Lumen Field in Seattle, while NFL Network will provide TV coverage nationwide.

A Sluggish Start For Seattle

The Seahawks are off to a very slow start this preseason, dropping both contests by a combined 50-10 score. Seattle rested 27 players last week against Denver in a 30-3 blowout defeat, while 31 Seahawks players sat out their Week 1 loss to Las Vegas.

Center Kyle Fuller and guard Damien Lewis are the only two projected starters who saw action last week, while Wilson, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and others have yet to step foot on the field. Head coach Pete Carroll hinted to the media that the plan all along was to get the starters action during the final preseason week, and the team would certainly benefit from having some more experienced players out there.

The Seahawks committed nine penalties versus the Broncos, with the offensive line being the most frequent offender. Seattle has produced only two scoring drives so far in the preseason, and committed three turnovers last week.

More Rest For the LA Regulars

Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams among others won’t see any preseason action, meaning Easton Stick and Chase Daniel will once again lead the offense. Under their watch, LA produced only 162 total yards last week versus San Fran, and were a dismal 2-for-11 on third down.

Stick did produce a couple memorable plays against mostly backups, however he could be in for a rude awakening if the Seahawks play their defensive starters for any significant length of time. The Chargers offensive line has allowed six sacks through two preseason games, and will once again feature second and third stringers.

Once Seattle’s defensive starters exit the game, it could be wheels up for the LA offense. As mentioned, the Seahawks backups have surrendered 50 points through two games, the fourth most of any team.

Defensively, standouts Derwin James and Joey Bosa are among the key starters that won’t play, but the second and third stringers have held their own through two weeks. The Charger backups are allowing just 239 yards per game, and held the 49ers and Rams to 15 and 6 points respectively. The’ve forced four turnovers, and the group was especially dominant in their preseason opener. That night, they held the Rams to just 3.6 yards per play.

Chargers vs Seahawks Pick

The last time we saw Russell Wilson in preseason action was two years ago against this same LA squad. He led his team to two touchdowns on his only two series, completing 6-of-9 passes, while chipping in 31 rushing yards. We should expect a fast start from Seattle, but it’s hard to back them without a clear idea of how long the starters will play.

The Seahawks backups have already proven to be unreliable and undisciplined, and even if Seattle mounts an early lead, I wouldn’t count out a rally from Los Angeles. My favorite way to bet this game would be to pick off a more favorable live number on the Chargers should they fall behind early, but for now +5.5 seems like the play.

Pick: Chargers +5.5 (-110)

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