New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Chargers Matchup Preview (12/12/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Chargers Matchup Preview (12/12/21)

Week 14 of the NFL regular season is about to commence. The New York Giants are flying to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers at SoFi Stadium this Sunday at 4:05 PM EST. The Giants have a record of 1-5 on the road, so taking down the Chargers will take a considerable team effort. They’re also coming out of a 20-9 defeat to the Miami Dolphins, which has continued to hurt the team’s morale. On the other hand, the Chargers are coming off an electric 41-22 Bengals lifting their spirits after a loss to conference rivals, the Denver Broncos. The Chargers need to secure this win to improve their chances of a playoff chance and get them ready for the AFC West game of the season against the Chiefs. Both teams have something to prove, and I suspect they both play an aggressive game this week.

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Chargers Betting Odds

The New York Giants have struggled to maintain a winning reputation this season. The plague of injuries is not going to help them this week either. The Chargers are hungry for a chance to become the AFC West leaders and rely on this game to end in victory to have a chance at that spot. Unless we have a crazy and unexpected performance from the Giants, I would classify this as a more straightforward win for the Chargers than most Giants fans would like to admit. ESPN would agree since their projections show the Chargers have a 76.4% chance of victory, leaving the Giants with a 23.4% chance. 

DraftKings concurs with this opinion since they have made the spread -10.5 for the Chargers with a -525 moneyline. The Giants are given +10.5 for the spread and +385 for the moneyline. The over/under for this game is set at 44 points. If all Chargers players are firing on all cylinders, I could say that the over doesn’t seem out of reach for the Chargers alone. However, if the absences of top offensive players Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler remain questionable, that goal may be more out of reach.

My prediction: Chargers win 37-10

TV Schedule

Date: 12/12/21
Time: 4:05 PM ET
Location: SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA
TV Coverage: FOX

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Chargers Live Stream

Where can you watch Giants 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 Giants vs. Chargers Free Online Now.

New York Giants Analysis

This year, the New York Giants cannot catch a break with their team injuries. Their leading rusher, Saquon Barkley, was out three games due to a sprained ankle he suffered earlier in the season. Now, the Giants’ quarterback, Daniel Jones, is doubtful to make an appearance against the Chargers due to a neck injury. Last week, Jones was on the sideline from the same injury, so the Giants played second-string Mike Glennon against the Dolphins. Entering this week, Glennon is also questionable because of a concussion he was diagnosed with after last week’s game. Concussion protocol only requires a five-day hiatus period which means Glennon can be healthy for Sunday’s matchup if he can pass all of the tests. If he is ruled unhealthy for a return, the third-string QB Jake Fromm would make his Giants debut. 

The Giants also have all three of their first-string receivers questionable early into Week 14. Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Kadarius Toney are out due to rib and quad injuries. These absences on the team will significantly impact the team’s gameplay and place a massive responsibility on fresh faces on the team. Since the injuries for these players are minor, there is a chance for them to return.

Fortunately for the Giants, the Charger’s defense has allowed the second-most rush yards in the league, giving Saquon Barkley a chance to save his team. With either Glennon or Fromm in the quarterback position, the team will want to utilize the rush game because of the inexperience of the quarterbacks and the lack of available receivers. However, the Chargers could greatly anticipate this strategy and guard the rush more than the pass and predict rush plays, stopping the Giants in their tracks. If the Giants want a chance at prevailing in this game, they will need to cross their fingers and hope some injuries for the team heal to have more variety and efficiency with play-calling and execution.

New York Giants Depth Chart

QB: Daniel Jones
RB1: Saquon Barkley
RB2: Devontae Booker
WR1: Kadarius Toney
WR2: Darius Slayton
WR3: Sterling Shepard
TE1: Evan Engram

Los Angeles Chargers Analysis

The Los Angeles Chargers have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with after big wins against the Chiefs, Browns, and Bengals. They are a top 10 offense in a very competitive league this year, all thanks to their magnificent passing game. Their starting quarterback, Justin Herbert, has the highest quarterback rating in the league at the moment. He has the fourth-most passing yards this season with 3,547 yards and is third in passing touchdowns with 27. His overall completion percentage falls at around 66%. He is currently averaging just shy of 300 passing yards a game (296 yards/game). Herbert has the incredible ability to locate his stacked receiving team downfield even with being sacked 25 times this year. The Giants have a mid-tier passing defense, so as long as Herbert can channel his consistency, I don’t see how this offense can be stopped. 

Herbert isn’t the only star responsible for the success of this team. His top receiver, Keenan Allen, has almost 1000 receiving yards on the season, which lands him in the top 10 in the league. Allen is tied for second with 86 receptions so far, and that number will continue to increase throughout the regular and postseason. However, Allen has a chance to remain out of the Giants game due to a positive COVID test. Fortunately, Allen is vaccinated and follows all NFL COVID protocols, and has a chance of making a full return for this week’s matchup.

Austin Ekeler has been a powerhouse for this offense all season. The running back has impressive stats for both rushing and receiving, with 663 rushing yards and 518 receiving yards. His versatility makes him incredibly unpredictable for defenses to guard and his speed and strength make him difficult to stop. Ekeler is also entering this week questionable due to some bumps and bruises from their last game against the Bengals but is expected to practice this week and has a large possibility for a return against the Giants.

Even without their top two offensive players, the Chargers still have a significant chance of success due to their variety of offensive standouts, including wide receiver Mike Williams and tight end Jared Cook. Williams has 854 receiving yards on the season, and if Keenan Allen remains out for this week, he has excellent potential to add significantly more yards against the Giants. He will become Herbert’s new favorite target for passes downfield. Jared Cook has 400 yards on the season and also might become a more prominent target this week if the top two offensive players remain out. He will be someone to watch for in this matchup.

Los Angeles Chargers Depth Chart

QB: Justin Herbert
RB1: Austin Eckler
RB2: Justin Jackson
WR1: Keenan Allen
WR2: Jalen Guyton
WR3: Mike Williams
TE1: Jared Cook

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Chargers Daily Fantasy Picks

I am a proud fantasy owner of Austin Ekeler. He averages 21.7 points per game but has boomed up to 41.5 points earlier this season. I have my fingers crossed, hoping he will be healthy for this matchup because I see a huge potential for massive point values against the Giants. 

Saqoun Barkley might have the opportunity for a great game this weekend. With all the Giants’ injuries, the team may rely heavily on Barkley’s rush capabilities. With a backup quarterback, the team might want to play a safer game by putting the ball in the trusted hands of Barkley and leading to larger yards. 

Justin Herbert has been an excellent weapon for any fantasy owner this year. He averages 22.6 points per game and has boomed past that 5/12 weeks. If Keenan Allen remains out for the week, the passing game may be affected slightly, but Herbert always manages to pull through for fantasy points.