Steelers vs. Chargers Week 6 Betting Odds

The Pittsburgh Steelers will head in to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers in this week's addition of Sunday Night football. The Steelers are coming off of a 26-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens while the Chargers are coming off of a 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos. The loss for the Steelers puts them at 1-4 while the Chargers are now at 2-3. A loss for either team this week will all but eliminate any real chance they have at making the playoffs.

The Broncos brought in veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to provide some stability to the quarterback position and he has done that to some extent howver he has been far from spectacular. He ws 14-20 for 182 yards and 1 touchdown along with an interception. Running back Philip Lindsay was the star of the game with 15 carries for 114 yards including the big run that sealed the win last week.

The Steelers have never been below 500 for a season under head coach Mike Tomlin and they are in danger of breaking that streak this season. Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is already out for the season and now his replacement is in the concussion protocol after a vicious hit. His status going forward is up in the air at best. Unproven backup Devlin Hodges was impressive in limited duty going 7-9 for 68 yards. Its going to take a huge effort from the offense, defense, special teams, and coaches to overcome these injuries and the teams slow start to the season.

By all appearances that matchup has all the appearances of a mismatch, but Chargers coach Anthony Lynn knows that looks can be deceiving, especially after his squad played one of the worst games of his three-year tenure last weeks loss to previously winless Denver. While Hodges is looking to get acclimated to becoming the starter, Rivers is seeking to bounce back from one of the worst games of his career. He was 32 of 48 for 211 yards and a pair of interceptions against the Broncos. Last week marked the first time in 56 games that Rivers did not direct a touchdown drive and only the eight time it has happened. The 4.4 yards per completion were the fourth fewest of his career.

The Chargers had two turnovers inside the Denver 5 last week and have five drives this season where they have come away with no points in the red zone. The Steelers began the season talking about the need to find offensive balance. They have yet to find it, even with the carousel at quarterback. Pittsburgh ranks 29th in yards rushing so far, continuing a trend that began during the team's second-half collapse in 2018. The Steelers have gone over 100 yards on the ground just once in their past 12 games. Pittsburgh is 4-8 during that span.

The running game will be critical to both teams as neither has been strong through the air. Expect a big game from the Steelers James Connor as he is a better running back than he has shown.