The Los Angeles Chargers will try to replicate their success from the NFL Hall of Fame Game, while the New Orleans Saints will take the field for the first time since the end of last season in a Week 1 NFL preseason contest on Sunday. The Chargers, coming off an 11-6 season and making the playoffs last season, defeated the Lions, 34-7, in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game. The Saints went 5-12 last year, and Kellen Moore will make his head coaching debut on Sunday after serving as the Eagles offensive coordinator in last year’s Super Bowl season. The preseason could be integral in deciding the Saints’ starting quarterback since they listed Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough and Jake Haener all in the QB1 spot in their first unofficial depth chart.
Kickoff from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., is set for 4:05 p.m. ET. New Orleans is a 0.5-point favorite in the latest Saints vs. Chargers odds, while the latest NFL odds show the over/under for total points scored at 36.5. The Saints are -112 on the money line, with the Chargers at -108. Before making any Chargers vs. Saints picks, be sure to see NFL predictions from SportsLine’s Matt Severance.
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Severance is a well-connected writer and high-volume NFL betting expert who has worked in the industry since 2005. In addition, he is on an impressive 37-12 roll (+1938) on his last 49 NFL money-line picks. Anyone who has followed him while using online sportsbooks promos and betting apps could be way up.
Here are Matt Severance’s best bets for Saints vs. Chargers on Sunday:
- Chargers +1.5
- Under 36.5 total points
Chargers +1.5
The Saints’ Week 1 starting quarterback will be playing in this preseason game. The problem is, there is no clear indication who that will be, and none of the New Orleans quarterbacks taking the field gives Severance any confidence. Combine that with Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh potentially being one of the most competitive people on the planet, and Severance likes a Chargers team likely led by Trey Lance the majority of the game for Sunday.
“Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh might care a little – like his brother John with the Ravens – as he improved to 12-8 SU & ATS in his NFL preseason head coaching career after L.A. stomped Detroit in last week’s Hall of Fame Game, 34-7,” Severance told SportsLine. “Former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance got the bulk of action at QB and looked good in throwing for two scores. I’d imagine he gets the bulk again, although no word yet on whether Harbaugh will let Justin Herbert and other guys see a series or two. I’d rather have Lance than any of the Saints QBs and also much rather have the Chargers’ overall roster.”
Under 37.5 total points
Did we mention the Saints quarterback situation is less than ideal? The Saints have a three-quarterback competition in Rattler, Shough and Haener. Rattler, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, went 0-6 in his six starts as a rookie and Haener, a fourth-round pick in 2023, lost his only start last year. Shough was a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and regardless of who plays and how long they do, Severance doesn’t have confidence in any of them. He doesn’t expect much offensive success from New Orleans, leading to him taking the Under for total points scored.
“How can you tell it’s the preseason? New Orleans is a road favorite,” Severance said. “I say that because the Saints look like they have by far the worse quarterback room in the NFL and most likely won’t be favored on the road during the regular season. Maybe not at home, either. And I don’t mean worst QB room this season but perhaps in many seasons.”
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