New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers picks, predictions: Who wins Week 13 game?
The New England Patriots (5-6) and Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) face off on Sunday in a Week 13 NFL game.
Which team will get the victory?
Check out these Week 13 NFL picks and predictions for the game, which can be seen at 2:25 p.m. Arizona time on CBS.
MORE: NFL power rankings: Arizona Cardinals' questions mount after loss to New England Patriots
More NFL Week 13 picks, predictions:
Browns vs. Titans | Raiders vs. Jets | Jaguars vs. Vikings
Bengals vs. Dolphins | Colts vs. Texans | Saints vs. Falcons
Washington Football Team vs. Steelers | Broncos vs. Chiefs
Rams vs. Cardinals | Patriots vs. Chargers | Lions vs. Bears
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CBS Sports: Chargers a 1-point favorite in the game
John Breech writes: "The Chargers are 0-5 ATS in their past five games, which is the longest active non-covering streak in the NFL right now. The Chargers are also just 5-14-1 ATS in their past 20 home games. If you look at more recent history, things haven't been much better as they're 3-9 straight-up in their past 12 homes games. Basically, the Chargers don't have much of a home-field advantage. The Patriots are an underdog in this game, which is notable, because they actually seem to do pretty well as an underdog. Since the start of the 2014 season, the Patriots have gone 9-3 ATS and 8-4 straight-up."
Sporting News: Patriots 28, Chargers 26
Bill Bender writes: "The Patriots are trying to mount a last-ditch playoff run, but there is no margin for error. Justin Herbert has three 300-yard games in the last four weeks, but the Chargers have allowed 27 points or more in eight straight games. We can't trust that defense."
Pro Football Network: Chargers 32, Patriots 20
Jarrett Bailey writes: "New England came from behind and upset the Cardinals. Cam Newton didn’t look good throwing the ball, but a long punt return set them up for a touchdown and the defense made plays that helped them get the win. If they were playing anyone but the Chargers, the Week 13 NFL odds wouldn’t be so kind to them. The Chargers need a coaching change. Anthony Lynn has shown that he is no longer capable of leading this team, especially in late game, one-score situations. Justin Herbert and the rest of the roster are fantastic, they are just poorly coached at this point, and it shows. I’ll give them the win here, but I do so cautiously."
Sportnaut: Patriots 24, Chargers 20
Vincent Frank writes: "It’s absolutely mind-boggling what rookie quarterback Justin Herbert has done through nine NFL starts. That includes the Oregon product throwing for over 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. Just think about that for a second. Averaged over a 16-game schedule, this would have Herbert on pace for 4,800 yards with 39 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Unfortunately, the Chargers sit at 3-8 under the leadership of embattled head coach Anthony Lynn. As for the Patriots, they found a way to get it right this past Sunday against Arizona. Despite Cam Newton tallying less than 70 net passing yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions, New England came out on top by the score of 20-17. Its defense held up big time en route to keeping the team in playoff contention. Expect a huge Week 13 win for Bill Belichick and Co."
MORE: NFL playoff picture: Arizona Cardinals' grip on last spot loosens in loss to Patriots
Sporting News: Patriots 23, Chargers 20
Vinnie Iyer writes: "The Patriots travel cross country in trying to further breathe life into their limited playoff hopes. This screams of them grinding the game out with Cam Newton and their traditional running game and leaning more on their improved defensive scheming vs. Justin Herbert. The Patriots can help their QB better with running as they compress the opposing offense around Herbert."
Pro Football Network: Patriots 23, Chargers 21
Oliver Hodginkson writes: "The New England Patriots did a good job defensively in their win over the Arizona Cardinals, and a repeat performance could provide rookie quarterback Justin Herbert some problems when they face the Los Angeles Chargers in the late afternoon slate. Both starting quarterbacks struggled in Week 12, with Cam Newton throwing two interceptions and Herbert throwing an interception and fumbling twice. The game should come down to who can dominate the ground game. The Patriots are averaging the fourth-most rushing yards per game, and with the Chargers allowing double-digit rushing touchdowns, that could prove the difference-maker."
MORE: NFL playoff odds: Arizona Cardinals' postseason chances take hit vs. New England Patriots
Fansided: Patriots 20, Chargers 17
Gil Alcaraz IV writes: "Justin Herbert will have another outstanding game, but the Los Angeles defense will crumble under the pressure of yet another close battle. Cam Newton will get the ball back with a minute or two remaining, and the Chargers will yield a game-winning touchdown to New England. It’s the same old story for Los Angeles and another difficult victory for the Patriots. In the end, though, it doesn’t matter how the wins come — all that’s important is that another notch in the loss column has been avoided."
WSN: Go with the Patriots
Mike Lukas writes: "The 5-6 New England Patriots stole a win in Week 12 over the Cardinals (20-17) despite their quarterback Cam Newton not having an excellent game (84 passing yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs), and now HC Bill Belichick’s team finds itself on the playoff bubble three spots out, so it will be a must-win situation for the rest of the season, including against these tricky Chargers. Nobody figured a rookie QB in Los Angeles could have a big season, but Justin Herbert is proving to be a huge asset to the Chargers, right now with 3,000+ passing yards and 23 touchdowns with just 7 picks, great numbers for a first year hurler though probably not good enough to get his team one of the three AFC Wild Card playoff spots available. This game will be close, but the Patriots defense should hold and cover this narrow spread, the Chargers unable to outscore a rebounding Newton."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers picks, predictions NFL
