Upcoming Match-ups

Will Philip Rivers Throw 2+ TDs in Every Game This Season?

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Mar 28, 2020 · 6:38 PM PDT

Philip Rivers Chargers
Philip Rivers has thrown 28 touchdown passes in 2018, matching his total from 2017 in just 12 games. Photo by Jeffrey Beall (Wiki Commons) [CC License]
  • Philip Rivers has tossed at least two TD passes in each all 12 games this season
  • The Chargers will face porous defenses in upcoming dates with Cincinnati, Kansas City
  • Can Rivers make it through the 2018 season with this streak alive?

Philip Rivers has been a model of consistency this season.

The veteran quarterback has been the catalyst behind the steady rise of the Los Angeles Chargers into the ranks of legitimate Super Bowl contenders, throwing at least two touchdown passes in each of his 12 appearances this season.

Now, with just four weeks remaining in the 2018 NFL campaign, and Los Angeles riding an impressive 8-1 SU win streak, Rivers has emerged as an intriguing bet to toss multiple scoring passes in all 16 of the Chargers’ regular season contests.

Odds Rivers Throws at Least 2 TDs in Each Game in 2018

Will Rivers 2+ TDs in every game during the 2018 Regular Season? Odds
Yes +240
No -380

Rivers has previously flirted with a season-long run of multi-score games, tossing two or more TD passes in 12 of 16 outings in both 2008 and 2016.

The 15-year NFL veteran has also lit up big-time opponents while throwing 28 scoring passes this season, including a two-TD performance in last weekend’s 33-30 win in Pittsburgh.

Ample Opportunity to Extend Streak Against Fading Bengals

The 36-year-old will have ample opportunity to build on that performance in Week 14, when Los Angeles hosts the Cincinnati Bengals as massive 14-point chalk.

The Bengals have spiraled into a free-fall since opening the season on a promising 4-1 SU run.

Cincinnati has lost outright in six of its past seven while surrendering over 34.4 points per game, capped by last weekend’s 24-10 loss to Denver as 4-point home underdogs. They are currently ranked 26th in the NFL after allowing 26 TD passes through their first 12 outings.

Chargers Looking for Payback in Week 15 Date with Chiefs

Rivers and the Chargers will enjoy yet another opportunity to run up the score in Week 15, when they visit the Kansas City Chiefs in a matchup that will go a long way towards determining this season’s AFC West division champion.

The Chiefs drew first blood when these rivals met at StubHub Center in Week 1, posting a 38-28 win over Los Angeles as 3-point underdogs.

However, that contest also marked a spectacular season debut for Rivers, who connected on three TD passes while racking up a season-high 424 yards. He will be looking for more against a porous Kansas City defense that has allowed seven TD passes over the past two weeks.

Los Angeles Chargers Upcoming Opponents

Week Opponent TD Passes Surrendered Per Game
Week 14 vs Cincinnati Bengals 2.17
Week 15 at Kansas City Chiefs 1.92
Week 16 vs Baltimore Ravens 1.33
Week 17 at Denver Broncos 1.75

League-Leading Ravens Defense Poses Massive Challenge

Things get tougher for Rivers in the Chargers’ final two regular-season dates against the Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens enter Week 14 sporting the stingiest defense in the NFL this season, allowing just 194.4 passing yards and a meager 17.8 points per game.

They showed no signs of letting up in a stifling 26-16 win in Atlanta last weekend.

But Rivers has found the end zone three times in each of the past two games he faced the Ravens, who could also be softened up following their visit to Kansas City this weekend.

Avoiding Letdown Key in Season Finale vs Broncos

Rivers has also regularly picked apart the Broncos defense, throwing multiple scoring passes in five of six dates with Denver since 2016, including a two-touchdown, 401-yard performance in the Chargers’ narrow 23-22 loss to the Broncos three weeks ago.

However, that victory sparked the Broncos’ current three-game SU winning streak, which has lifted the team back into playoff contention.

With upcoming dates against also-rans San Francisco, Cleveland, and Oakland on the slate ahead of their Week 17 date with Los Angeles, the Broncos could enter their season finale with a playoff berth within their grasp.

Conversely, the Chargers will likely have clinched a playoff spot before that meeting, and could experience a letdown if their seeding is already determined; a scenario which adds value to the -380 odds of Rivers falling short of tossing multiple scoring passes in every game this season.

Author Image