Chargers vs Patriots Predictions & Odds for NFL Playoffs Wild Card Round (2026)

The best quarterback matchup of the Wild Card Round is the duel between Justin Herbert and the potential 2025 MVP Drake Maye. It's no surprise the Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots matchup gets the primetime slot on Sunday night. New England enters this one as a 3.5-point home favorite, and you can bet those odds using a bet365 bonus code. 

Below, the RotoWire staff will give you our expert Chargers vs Patriots predictions, including everything you need to know about the spread, over/under, and more. 

Chargers vs Patriots Odds: Wild Card Round

All odds in the table below are sourced from BetMGM. Use a BetMGM Bonus Code to juice up your bets. Note that odds may have moved after this article was published. 

Chargers vs Patriots Prediction

Drake Maye vs Justin Herbert should be the headline, but New England's pass-rushing unit is the key to this game. The Chargers entered the year with one of the best offensive lines in the league. That quickly fell apart. We'd be here all day if I named every lineman that Los Angeles lost to injury – suffice it to say, a lot of 300-pound men went down. As a result, LA finished as PFF's lowest-graded pass-blocking unit, Justin Herbert was pressured a league-high 183 times and he took a whopping 54 sacks (No. 3 in the NFL). You can't compete in the playoffs with numbers like that. 

But given the offensive line woes, New England is probably the best possible matchup for LA. The Patriots and Jaguars were the only AFC playoff teams that didn't finish the year with a top-12 pass-rushing grade from PFF. The Chargers rested their starters in Week 18, and they might've done so to secure a date with New England. Be careful what you wish for.

Yes, the Patriots were a below-average pass-rushing unit. But most of that can be attributed to the fact that they lost Milton Williams for half the season. Remember, Williams was the man who blew up the Chiefs' game plan in the Super Bowl last year, generating four pressures and two sacks, including a strip sack. With a healthy Williams, this is a much-scarier group. With Williams off the field, New England would've owned the second-worst pressure rate in football. But when he was on the field, they'd own the league's 10th-best pressure rate. That's a significant jump. 

I think Williams will decimate the Chargers' weak interior O-Line. I wouldn't expect too many fireworks from Drake Maye against an elite Chargers' passing defense, but he'll do enough to win in a low-scoring affair.

• ⭐️ Score Prediction: New England Patriots Win, 21-13

Chargers vs Patriots Expert Predictions 

Here's a look at the RotoWire Staff's Chargers vs Patriots moneyline predictions: 

• Brandon Justice: Chargers
• Tyler Huntington: Patriots
• Blake Weishaar: Patriots
• Max Staley: Patriots

Three of the four RotoWire experts are backing New England. But the lone RotoWire staff member to pick the Chargers finished with the best regular-season record. That might point to this being a close game. 

RotoWire Staff Moneyline Prediction Record 

Below, I've detailed the RotoWire staff's moneyline prediction record in the 2025-26 regular season and the NFL Playoffs. 

2025-26 Regular Season: 

• Brandon Justice: 168-104
• Blake Weishaar: 167-105
• Tyler Huntington: 156-116
• Max Staley: 151-121

2025-26 NFL Playoffs: 

• Brandon Justice: 0-0
• Tyler Huntington: 0-0
• Blake Weishaar: 0-0
• Max Staley: 0-0

Where to Bet on NFL Playoffs Odds 

Below, I've listed the major sportsbooks that offer betting markets on this game. I've also included their welcome offers, so you can kickstart your account with some bonus bets.