The seventh-seeded Los Angeles Chargers battle the second-seeded New England Patriots in a 2026 Wild Card Weekend matchup on 'Sunday Night Football.' Los Angeles is coming off a 19-3 loss at Denver in Week 18, while New England cruised to a 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. The Chargers (11-6), who finished second in the AFC West, are 5-3 on the road this season. The Patriots (14-3), who were champions of the AFC East, are 6-3 on their home field. Omarion Hampton (ankle) is active for Los Angeles, as is Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) for New England. Linebacker Bud Dupree is inactive for the Chargers.
Kickoff from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Patriots lead the all-time series 27-17-2, including a 3-1 edge in the postseason. The Patriots are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Chargers vs. Patriots odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 45.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook. The Under is 4-1 over the last five Chargers games, but the Over has hit in each of the last five Patriots games. New England is at -198 on the money line (risk $198 to win $100).
Before making any Chargers vs. Patriots picks, you NEED to see which side the proven SportsLine projection model is on.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters 2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following could have seen HUGE returns!
Now, the model has locked in another confident pick for Chargers vs. Patriots.
We can tell you it's leaning Over the point total, but also says that one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time! You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which side to back before locking in any picks of your own.
So who wins Chargers vs. Patriots in 2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? ... Join SportsLine RIGHT NOW to see which side of the line to back, all from the model that has gone 53-37 on top-rated picks since 2024!
LIMITED TIME: Use promo code CHAMPIONSHIP to get your first month at SportsLine for $1 JOIN NOW.
GET VEGAS EXPERT PICKS FOR NFL, MLB, NBA, CBB, GOLF, NHL, HORSE RACING AND MORE - PLUS ADVANCED COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, WINNING TOOLS, AND MORE!
Written by Daniel Kohn
View expert profile
