New York Jets at San Diego Chargers Preview Betting Preview
Opening Line: Jets +7.5 / Chargers -7.5 O/U 42
Time: 4:40 PM EST Sunday January 17, 2010 on CBS
This Sunday in an AFC playoff match up the red-hot San Diego Chargers host the New York Jets. Last week the Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals in an away game and they will not be facing a Chargers' team that ended the season winning their last 13 games. In the win over the Bengals rookie QB Mark Sanchez became only the 4th rookie QB to win their playoff debut. This is a classic defense vs. offense game, as the Chargers have one of the best passing offenses in the league and the Jets ended the season with the top-ranked defense in the NFL.
This season the Chargers were 6-2 at home and 8-8 ATS and the Jets were 5-3 on the road and 9-7 ATS.
The Jets were 4-4 ATS on the road this season and 3-1 ATS as an away underdog and the Chargers were 4-4 ATS at home.
QB Phillip Rivers (4,254 yds 28 TD 9 INT) leads the Chargers and their 10th ranked offense and he may have to do it all in this game, as they Chargers only averaged 88.9 rushing yards per game. It will take some pressure off Rivers if RB's LeDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles can run the ball, but neither of them averaged over 3.7 yards per carry this season. Rivers' main targets of TE Antonio Gates and WR Vincent Jackson are both 6'5" and prevent match up problems for any secondary and each averaged at least 14 yards per reception this season. The Jets had the #1 defense in the league this season and they also led the league in pass defense only allowing an average of 153.7 yards per game through the air this season. In last week's win over Cincinnati the Jets only allowed 110 passing yards and they had one INT.
Rookie QB Mark Sanchez (2,444 yds 12 TD 20 INT) leads the Jets and their 20th ranked offense and he will not put up huge numbers, well not yet in his career, as the Jets' rushing offense, which averaged 172.3 yards this season, is their strength. They feature the solid RB duo of Thomas Jones and rookie Shonn Greene and while Jones was the featured back this season Greene blew up in the win over the Bengals last week rushing for 135 yards with 1 TD. Unfortunately for the Chargers/ defense they are better defending the pass than the run.
To pull off the upset in Sunny San Diego against the league's hottest team the Jets will have to play solid defense, especially against the pass, and they have to run the ball well.