The Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) travel to Charlotte in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL season for an inter-conference clash with the Carolina Panthers (0-1). Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on September 15th at Bank of America Stadium.
These two teams appear to be on very different trajectories following the opening weekend of the regular season, as Carolina was embarrassed 47-10 on the road in New Orleans while the Chargers came away with a solid 22-10 home victory over AFC West rival Las Vegas in Week 1.
Despite playing in their home opener, it appears as if the Panthers will be in tough again this weekend against yet another skilled defense. Los Angeles also looks to be in a great spot offensively, as Carolina couldn’t find a way to slow down the surging Saints on the ground or through the air last Sunday.
Matchup Details, Betting Market Information and Where to Watch
Oddsmakers opened this game up with the Chargers listed as 4.5-point road favorites. The spread has ballooned by over a full point after early betting, as Los Angeles is currently available at -6 on most sportsbooks. The total for this matchup is 41.5 points. Viewers hoping to watch the game should note that it will be televised exclusively on the CBS Sports Network. In Canada, the game will also be available on DAZN.
Los Angeles Chargers Run Over Visiting Raiders
New head coach Jim Harbaugh had to be proud of his new team following their impressive Week 1 performance, as the Chargers established the run on offense while also turning in a tough defensive performance en route to victory over the visiting Raiders. RB J.K. Dobbins stole the show out of the backfield, rumbling for 135 yards and a touchdown on just ten carries. QB Justin Herbert didn’t do anything spectacular, going 17/26 for 144 yards through the air. However, Herbert also didn’t commit any turnovers, which bodes well for a new era under Harbaugh’s run-first offensive scheme.
Rookie WR Ladd McConkey also chipped in for the Chargers on offense, hauling in five catches for 39 receiving yards and his first ever NFL touchdown. Quentin Johnson and Hayden Hurst also managed to get involved, combining for five catches and 71 total yards.
On the other side of the ball, Los Angeles did a great job at containing star wideout Davante Adams for the most part, limiting the veteran to just five catches for 59 yards. The Chargers also were really effective at stopping the run, holding RB Zamir White to only 44 rushing yards on 13 total carries.
Carolina Panthers Searching for Answers On Both Sides of the Ball
It was nothing short of a complete disaster for Carolina in their first outing of the regular season after getting embarrassed 47-10 on the road in New Orleans. The Panthers fell behind early and never came close to getting back in the game, trailing 30-3 at halftime to a Saints team that moved the ball with ease for four consecutive quarters.
QB Bryce Young was atrocious under center, going just 13/30 for 161 passing yards and no touchdowns. Young also threw two costly interceptions that the Saints managed to capitalize on both times. RB Chuba Hubbard was ineffective out of the backfield, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry before losing work to Miles Sanders. While Sanders was slightly more successful than Hubbard, he still only managed to rush for 22 total yards while averaging 4.4 YPC. The duo of Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo led the way for the receiving corps, combining for 89 yards on five total catches.
As bad as the offense was for Carolina on opening weekend, the defense was somehow even worse. The Panthers got torched for almost 400 total yards of offense, including three touchdowns through the air and two more on the ground. They simply had no answer for Alvin Kamara out of the backfield, as the shifty veteran exploded for 100+ total yards and a touchdown. They also had no answer for QB Derek Carr, allowing him to complete 19 of his 23 total passing attempts.
Our Chargers vs Panthers NFL Betting Prediction and Pick
This matchup looks pretty lopsided on paper, as the Chargers looked very impressive against divisional foe Las Vegas while Carolina barely managed to keep the Saints from scoring under 50 points in a blowout loss. Betting markets have certainly agreed with that assessment, as significant line movement has moved the spread 1.5 points larger already.
While I would have loved to jump on board with the Chargers when markets opened on Sunday evening at a very attractive 4.5 point spread, I still think that the optimal play in this particular spot is laying the points with the road favorite. Los Angeles really impressed on both sides of the ball in Week 1, especially on the ground where J.K. Dobbins appeared fully healthy for the first time in well over a year.
Against the Spread Betting Market Tip: Chargers -6
While it is always advisable not to overreact to a single bad performance, I don’t see much reason for optimism on the Panthers side in this matchup. The Los Angeles defense just held Las Vegas to only ten points, so I can’t imagine that Carolina somehow finds a spark after barely managing to score ten points themselves against New Orleans in Week 1.
The defensive matchup for Panthers also is extremely suboptimal, as they were repeatedly exposed on the ground by New Orleans last weekend. That plays right into the Chargers strength on offense, which is clearly their run game. J.K. Dobbins has a great matchup yet again here in Week 2, so I fully expect Los Angeles to keep pounding the ball down the middle en route to another decisive victory. As long as this spread stays under a full touchdown, lay the two field goals and roll with the road favorite to cover their second consecutive spread.
