New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers Matchup Preview: Betting Odds, Depth Chart, Live Stream (Watch Online)

The week five NFL Monday night football game is an interesting matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Saints are coming off a landslide win against the Detroit Lions to even their record to 2-2. The Chargers suffered a tough loss last week against a hard-fought Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. Both teams are in the hunt to advance in their division and will be looking to snag a win on Monday night. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: Monday, October 12th , 2020
Time: 8:15 PM ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – New Orleans, Louisiana
TV Coverage: ESPN

Saints vs. Chargers Live Stream

Where can you watch Saints vs. Chargers online? You can stream this game and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Saints vs. Chargers Free Online Now.

Injuries:

New Orleans Saints: Questionable to play: Andrus Peat, Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Davenport, Jared Cook, Michael Thomas, Janoris Jenkins, Ryan Ramczyk, Anthony Lanier
Los Angeles Chargers: Questionable to play: Storm Norton, Trai Turner, Mike Williams, Bryan Bulaga, Tyrod Taylor
Out for week five: Austin Ekeler

New Orleans Saints Analysis

The New Orleans Saints are coming off a 6 point victory last week over the Detroit Lions. They have been struggling on both sides of the ball as opposed to the level they are usually at. The defense has been giving up 30.8 points per game, while fans are starting to see Drew Brees possibly nearing the end of his career. They look to grab a win this week to tie the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South.

While Drew Brees has not been as productive at quarterback as he once was, the offense is still producing well for the Saints. They are averaging 30.8 points per game mostly from the works of Sean Payton’s offensive scheme. They have passed the ball 54% of the time in games this season, which is one of the lowest in the league. They will need to work hard next week against a Charger defense that has only allowed 23.8 points per game this season.

Most of the Saints’ offense this season has come from their run game due to the fact they run the ball 46% of the time during games. Alvin Kamara has been working well in the backfield and in the passing game, where he currently ranks 11th among receivers in yards with 321 this season. Latavious Murray is starting to find his groove in the backfield too, where he averages 11 carries per game. As a team, the Saints rank in the top ten in rushing yards, touchdowns, and attempts. They will have a tough time next week against the Chargers defense that has allowed the second least rushing touchdowns this season.

The Saints have not been passing the ball as much as they usually do this season. Only 54% of plays called are passing plays, but Drew Brees is remaining consistent even with the decrease. His passer rating is 109.3 and he has one of the highest completion percentages in the league at 71.54%. Not to mention, he has only thrown two interceptions total through four weeks. Certainly, his offensive line is helping him as he has been sacked the fourth-least amongst quarterbacks this season. Brees will look to lead a productive offense on Monday night with the possible return of Michael Thomas after missing two games.

The Saints’ defense has been underperforming for such a productive offense. They have allowed nearly 31 points per game this season along with four touchdowns to opponents on average. Moreover, they are genuinely one of the worst red-zone defenses, allowing teams to score 82.35% of the time they reach the red zone this season. However, their rush defense has been immaculate ranking in the top ten in rushing yards and touchdowns allowed this season. They need to focus on containing the Chargers’ pass offense to be able to hold them off next week.

New Orleans Saints Depth Chart

QB: Drew Brees
RB1: Alvin Kamara
RB2: Latavius Murray
WR1: Michael Thomas
WR2: Emmanuel Sanders
WR3: Tre’Quan Smith
TE: Jared Cook

Los Angeles Chargers Analysis

The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where they only lost by a touchdown. They only have one win this season but have had a decently difficult schedule to start their season. However, their rookie first-round draft pick, Justin Herbert, has been a wonder for this Charger offense and will make the AFC West competitive if they can bring their record back from 1-3. A good place to start for them is on Monday night against a vulnerable Saints’ team.

The Charger offense has been interesting this season, as they have been averaging 400 yards per game on offense but only putting up 20.8 points per game. Herbert has been solid for them, but the loss of Austin Ekeler will hurt their run and pass offense. They will need to figure out a different way to attack the Saints’ weak secondary in week five.

Justin Herbert has been nothing but impressive in his rookie season thus far, with a 72% completion rate, nearly 1,000 passing yards in three games, and a passer rating of 102.2. The Chargers have the same run-heavy offense as the Saints but will need to pass more against them without Ekeler. They have been putting up an impressive 275 passing yards per game against opponents, but do not produce many passing touchdowns. The Saints have a very weak secondary and Herbert will need to take advantage of that next week.

On Monday night, the run game will be led by Joshua Kelley and backup Justin Jackson, who just came back from injury. Kelley has been a force in the backfield with 35 carries, 124 rushing yards, and one touchdown in the first two weeks. Since then he has only produced 17 carries for 50 rushing yards in the last two weeks. Now without Ekeler, he will need to step up his game alongside Justin Jackson to produce for the Chargers on offense.

The Charger defense has been very solid for them this season with Joey Bosa leading the way. They have only allowed 23.8 points per game to their opponents this season. On top of that, they have only allowed 2.2 touchdowns per game and are one of the best red zone defenses in the league. Sadly, the only produce 1.5 sacks per game and they may not produce over that number when they face against one of the least sacked quarterbacks. But, if their secondary can contain the Saints’ offense they will have a good chance at winning this game.

Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart

QB: Tyrod Taylor
RB1: Austin Ekeler
RB2: Justin Jackson
WR1: Keenan Allen
WR2: Mike Williams
WR3: Joe Reed
TE: Hunter Henry

Betting Corner Chargers +7.5

Spread: +/- 7.5
Moneyline: Saints -360, Chargers +280
Over/Under: 51

Prediction

Spread: Chargers +7.5
Moneyline: Saints -360
Over/Under: o51

The New Orleans Saints have only one won game this season by over one touchdown, so I am happy to see this spread for the Chargers. The Chargers are 3-1 on covering their spreads this season, and I am confident they can cover on Monday night. However, I think the Saints are in a must-win scenario to stay competitive in the NFC South, so I would take their money line.

Both of these teams have shown they can put up high numbers on offense and I think that will be the case on Monday night. Take the over for this game, as most of the games have been going that way this season.

Fantasy Football Love/Hate

Love

Latavius Murray has been getting more touches than anticipated this season. I think the Saints like having Kamara act more as a receiver and Murray takes over a decent amount of rushes. His touches have been solid enough to put him in a low-ceiling RB2 spot with better flex value, even against a tough Charger rush defense.

Keenan Allen certainly has been having a solid fantasy year thus far, ranking 14th in fantasy points among receivers. However, without Ekeler, he is due for more targets. Against a poor Saints’ secondary, I like his odds for a solid game on Monday night with WR1 potential but WR2 consistency.

Hate

Jared Cook has had his fair share of targets at tight end, but with Michael Thomas on his way back I think that will come to an end. He remains a TE2 for fantasy in week five and should remain on the bench against the Chargers.