NFL Wild Card Round Lookahead – New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Chargers Opening Odds, Early Picks & Predictions

Wild Card Sunday will see the New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers for a spot in the Divisional round. The Patriots played an excellent brand of football throughout the season, going 14-3 in Mike Vrabel’s first season in charge of the team.

As the number 2 seed, New England has the added comfort of playing in front of their own fans, while not having to worry about the climate conditions. On the flip side, the Chargers, a dome team from the West Coast, will have to acclimatize quickly, and the temperature difference could be a factor in this game.

Los Angeles has done well to get to the playoffs despite critical losses due to injury; nevertheless, the Chargers will be charged up for this one. So, here is a look at the opening odds, early picks, and predictions for the upcoming game.

What are the opening odds for the Patriots vs Chargers?

The table below gives the opening odds for the Patriots vs Chargers matchup as per FanDuel.

	Spread	Moneyline	Total
New England Patriots	-3.5 (-110)	-198	O 46.5 (-104)
Los Angeles Chargers	+3.5 (-110)	+166	U 46.5 (-118)

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The opening odds for the Patriots vs Chargers Wild Card round matchup show that New England is the favorite to win the game.

Early picks & predictions for Patriots vs Chargers

Here are our early picks for the Wild Card game between the Patriots and the Chargers, as per FanDuel.

Early spread lean: New England Patriots -3.5 (-110)
Early total lean: Under 46.5 (-118)
Early player prop: Justin Herbert Under 31.5 pass attempts (-120)

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Early leans & betting predictions

Early spread lean: New England Patriots -3.5

It has been quite a turnaround for the New England Patriots this season, with Mike Vrabel taking the reins of the team. Vrabel has managed to bring back the ‘Patriot way,’ and there seems to be a new belief within the locker room once again.

Quarterback Drake Maye has taken a giant leap forward, making plays both in the air and on the ground. Moreover, the Patriots are one of the top defensive teams in the league and will have the added advantage of playing at home, with the weather being a major factor.

The Chargers have been hit with a plethora of injuries, and the O-line has taken a huge hit, yet they managed to make the playoffs with a respectable 11-6 record. However, the Chargers will be up against a strong defensive unit while also having to deal with the colder weather.

One game at a time.@DrakeMaye2 | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/BehmOlzJdh
— z – New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 7, 2026

Early total lean: Under 46.5

Our initial lean for the total points is the under (46.5), mainly due to the strong defensive prowess of both teams, coupled with the sub-freezing temperatures and stiff winds expected on game day.

Despite the fact that the Patriots have the second-best scoring offense in the league with an average of 28.8 points per game, the Chargers have a top-ten scoring defense, allowing just 20 points per game. In fact, the Chargers have only given up 20 points once in their last 6 games.

On the other hand, New England’s defense is giving up under 19 points per game, and has allowed 20 or more points only to the Ravens and Bills in their last 5 games.

Early player prop: Justin Herbert Under 31.5 pass attempts

Justin Herbert will be going up against a highly competitive defensive unit of the Patriots. Moreover, Jim Harbaugh likes to run the ball and has set up the team to succeed on the ground. That is also evident from the fact that Herbert has attempted 32 or more passes only once in the last 6 games.

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Trends to Monitor

Here are some of the key trends to monitor for the Patriots’ Wild Card game against the Chargers.

The Patriots are 4-2-1 ATS as home favorites
New England is 4-4-1 ATS at home
Chargers are 3-1 ATS as underdogs
Chargers are 3-5 on the road

Early prediction summary

To recap, we are leaning towards the Patriots covering the -3.5 point spread as early odds. As for the points total, our inclination is the Under (46.5) given the top defenses and weather factors coming into play. The early player prop is Justin Herbert under 31.5 pass attempts, given the run-heavy offense the Chargers like to employ.

bolt tf up. pic.twitter.com/DAdDf40x0A
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 5, 2026

How to watch Patriots vs Chargers

The details for the Patriots vs Chargers AFC Wild Card round game are as follows.

Game Details	Information
Date	Sunday, January 11, 2026
Kickoff	8:00 p.m. ET
Location	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV	NBC
Streaming	Peacock

What time is Patriots vs Chargers?

The Patriots vs Chargers Wild Card round will take place at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 11.

Where is the Patriots vs Chargers game being played?

The AFC Wild Card game between the Patriots and the Chargers will take place at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts.

How can I watch Patriots vs Chargers on TV and live stream?

The New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Chargers playoff matchup will be telecast by NBC with live streaming available on Peacock.

The above odds are sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!