Los Angeles Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Week 16 of the NFL season will conclude with a meaningful AFC clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. Coverage begins from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Updated on 12/11/2024

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS BETTING PREDICTION

Somehow, the blame for Indy’s struggles throughout the season fell on Frank Reich in Week 8, who posted a solid 37-28 record in his first four campaigns as the Colts’ head coach, despite having to adjust to a different starting quarterback in all four of those seasons.

And to the surprise of pretty much nobody, this squad is now much worse with Jeff Saturday at the helm. Which officially came to fruition in their latest affair, as the Colts wound up on the losing side of the largest comeback in NFL history in their 39-36 loss to Minnesota last week.

To be fair, though, none of this is Saturday’s fault, nor is it Matt Ryan’s. The Colts’ front office has simply lost its way over the last year or so, and their questionable decision making has driven this squad down to bottom-dweller status in the AFC.

Personally, my reasoning for backing L. A. in this matchup is more about bad Colts as opposed to good Chargers. But the Bolts have also been trending in the right direction as of late, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Chargers have now won three of their last four contests, primarily propelled by their defense holding opposing teams to less than 21 PPG in those matchups. Which is probably bad news for a Colts squad that’s surrendered a lofty average of 39 PPG across their latest three-game skid, and now, as a last resort, trotting out Nick Foles for his first start of the season.

Score Prediction: Chargers 27, Colts 17
Best Bet: Chargers -4 (-110)

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS BETTING ODDS

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Monday, December 26, 2022
Matchup: AFC West vs. AFC South
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Time-TV: ESPN, 8:15 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Chargers appeared to be drifting towards another second-half meltdown prior to their latest two affairs, as Justin Herbert and co. entered their Week 14 matchup against Miami following losses in three-of-four games, bringing their record down to 6-6 on the season, and for the moment, booting them out of the final AFC Wild Card spot.

However, L. A. bounced back with a pair of tough victories over the Dolphins and Titans in Weeks 14 and 15, and now everybody seems to be back on the Chargers’ bandwagon. Personally, I still have my doubts about this team, and Brandon Staley is always destined to torture spread bettors with his obsession for going for it on fourth-down. 

But the Chargers desperately need to win this game, and quite frankly, the Colts have looked terrible the last three weeks. So, begrudgingly, I’d say your money is safest with the Bolts here.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS BETTING ANALYSIS

Typically, I try to treat each individual team and situation with respect, and I’ll do the same here. But this Colts’ organization has been run in an absolutely dumbfounding manner over the last calendar year, and there’s no real way to put it nicely.

Their previous campaign ultimately came to a disappointing conclusion. But in the Colts’ first season with Carson Wentz under center, they posted a solid record of 9-8, while ranking Top 10 in the league in both scoring and turnovers on the offensive side of the ball.

However, an ugly two-game skid to close the year was all she wrote for Wentz in Indy, as the Colts’ front office elected to bring in Matt Ryan this past offseason. Which has proven to be a total disaster, especially in the turnover department, highlighted by Ryan throwing 14 interceptions and fumbling the ball 15 times in just 12 starts this season.

Clearly, Wentz isn’t one of the league’s most highly regarded options at the quarterback position. But he’s always worked within Reich’s offensive scheme, even dating back to their days in Philly. 

So, it truly is a shame to see the Colts abandon ship on that combo so early in its development, especially after playing some really solid football throughout their 9-6 start to last season.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS BETTING TRENDS

• The total has gone UNDER in five of the Chargers' last seven games.
• The Chargers are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 games against Indianapolis.
• The total has gone OVER in four of Indianapolis' last five games.
• The Colts are 1-7 SU in their last eight games.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of Indianapolis' last nine games against the Chargers.
• The Colts are 1-4 SU in their last five home games.
• The Chargers are 4-1 SU in their last five games against Indianapolis.
• The Chargers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games.

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Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson