Chargers vs. Colts 2022 NFL Week 16 Odds, Preview & Pick

By Hank Blaine • December 22, 2022

Week 16 in the NFL concludes with the Los Angeles Chargers facing the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. It’s huge for the Bolts’ AFC wild-card hopes, while Indy’s season has been a disaster and the Colts are playing out the string.

It’s the 28th all-time regular season contest between the teams, with the Chargers leading the series 17-10. In their last matchup, Indianapolis traveled to Los Angeles in Week 1 of 2019 and lost in overtime, 30-24.

At 4-9-1, the Colts actually haven’t officially been eliminated from playoff contention as of this writing but it’s basically a formality. Of course, the team fired coach Frank Reich earlier this season and replaced him on an interim basis with former Colts Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday even though he had no head coaching experience above high school.

Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with the latest news, NFL odds, and special features for the entire duration of the 2022 NFL season. This time, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming week 16 clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts.

Chargers vs. Colts Game Information

this defense rn ???? pic.twitter.com/p7Y9hD6cQN
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 22, 2022

When: Monday, December 26, 2022, 8:15 PM ET
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
TV: ESPN
Radio: ALT 98.7 FM (Chargers) // 107.5 The Fan (Colts)
Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
NFL Odds: Chargers (-4.5) // Colts (+4.5)

Why Bet on the Los Angeles Chargers?

LA comes off its second straight win Sunday, 17-14 over the Titans. Herbert passed for 313 yards. He has 4,019 passing yards this season and is the first player in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three career seasons. Pro Bowl running back Austin Ekeler rushed 12 times for 58 yards but only caught two balls for 12 yards and was targeted just three times. Ekeler banged up his shoulder but is expected to play.

This week, the team signed defensive lineman Christopher Hinton to the active roster and placed defensive lineman Joe Gaziano on Reserve/Injured. Gaziano made five straight appearances from Week 11 through Week 15, totaling eight tackles and one sack.

It’s possible that Pro Bowl safety Derwin James is back this week. James has missed the last two games due to a quadriceps injury he sustained in Week 13 against the Raiders. He has 106 tackles, five for loss, four sacks, four passes defended, two forced fumbles and an interception in 12 games this season.

Even without James on the field, Los Angeles still played at a high level in its victories over the Dolphins and Titans. Over the past two weeks, the Bolts rank third in defensive DVOA. Alohi Gilman, who has filled in as the starter for James, has been playing well alongside Nasir Adderley.

Why Bet on the Indianapolis Colts

Indy won its first game under Saturday but lost a fourth straight in Week 15, 39-36 in OT. The Colts led 33-0 in the third quarter and it was the biggest blown lead in a loss in league history. The Vikings became only the second team in 1,551 regular-season or playoff games to trail by 30 or more points and still win.

Colts QB Matt Ryan was stopped short on a fourth-and-1 sneak at the Minnesota 36 with 2:19 left in regulation. Then Kirk Cousins hit Dalvin Cook for a 64-yard touchdown on a screen pass on the next play and T.J. Hockenson for the 2-point conversion to tie the game before the 2-minute warning. Greg Joseph won it in OT on a 40-yard field goal.

Saturday has decided to bench Ryan for third-stringer Nick Foles, a one-time Super Bowl MVP with the Eagles who was released over the summer by Chicago and hasn’t attempted a regular-season pass this year.

“Just didn’t feel like we made enough plays offensively,” Saturday said after the Vikings loss. “It’s no secret. We haven’t converted in the red zone. And ultimately you’ve gotta make plays in the NFL and we’re not making nearly enough explosive plays. … I feel like Nick will give us a better chance to win these last three games.”

The Colts are 4-9-1; they’re 4-7-1 with Ryan as their starting quarterback and 1-4 since Saturday took over as interim head coach. Only three teams are averaging fewer points per game than the Colts (17.5), and only one team is less efficient at turning red zone possessions into touchdowns than the Colts, who’ve done so on just 45 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line.

Foles had been promoted from No. 3 quarterback to No. 2 in the past two weeks, sharing scout-team reps with Ehlinger. It’s not clear yet whether Ryan or Sam Ehlinger will back up Foles on Monday.

The Chargers obviously have no QB worries with Justin Herbert and at 8-6 currently hold down an AFC wild-card spot. If the Bolts beat the Colts on Monday Night Football, combined with Week 16 losses by the Jets, Patriots and Raiders, the Chargers.

Chargers vs. Colts Betting Trends

Chargers are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games following a ATS loss.
Chargers are 5-2 ATS in the last 7 road games.
The total went under in 5 of LA Chargers’ last 7 games
Colts are 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game.
Colts are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games in December.
The total went over in 4 of Indianapolis’ last 5 games.

Chargers vs. Colts Expert Betting Predictions

Chargers 24, Colts 20.

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*All stated odds are subject to change without prior notice.