Seahawks vs. Chargers: Week 7 Betting Preview & Predictions

by | 19 October 2022

The 4-2-0 Los Angeles Chargers host the 3-3-0 Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Chargers have a point spread of -6 with a money line of -240. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 51 points.

Seattle Seahawks Los Angeles Chargers

Seattle Seahawks (+6)

Record: 3-3-0
Points Per Game: 24.3
Points Allowed Per Game: 27.2

Los Angeles Chargers (-6)

Record: 4-2-0
Points Per Game: 23.5
Points Allowed Per Game: 25.3

Los Angeles Chargers Offense:

The Chargers are coached by Brandon Staley who has been with the team since 2021. They have a current season record of 4-2-0 after going 9-8 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Brandon Staley is no different.

Justin Herbert is the quarterback for the Chargers. The 24-year-old Oregon alum entered the league in 2020 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 6 games and thrown for 1716 yards with a completion percentage of 66.1 percent. Justin Herbert has thrown 10 touchdowns despite 3 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 93.1.

His main target will be Keenan Allen. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 30-year-old target. He has made 4 receptions to date on 4 targets, a catch percentage of 100.0%, for a total of 66 yards. Keenan Allen is averaging 16.5 yards per catch with 0 touchdowns thus far. Justin Herbert will be looking to connect with him for more here.

The Chargers running game is lead by the 27-year-old Austin Ekeler. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 75 carries and rushed for 349 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 58.2 YPG, a number that you know Brandon Staley would love to see him exceed in this game. Austin Ekeler has 4 touchdowns this season and 1 fumbles.

Overall, the Los Angeles Chargers offense ranks 12 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at 5.7%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 8 with a Passing DVOA of 5.9%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of 24.4%, ranking #9 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.48 with 12 Red Zone touchdowns in 25 attempts.

Los Angeles Chargers Defense/Special Teams:

On the defensive end, the Chargers have a Defense DVOA of 0.3%, ranking 14 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #10 at -2.4% and they’ll need them to show up against Geno Smith. The Brandon Staley-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of -2.4%, #11 out of thirty two teams.

Their kicker is Dustin Hopkins who has made 9 of 10 field goals this season, a 90.0% field goal percentage, with a long of 43 yards. The Los Angeles Chargers fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.

Seattle Seahawks Offense:

The Seahawks are on the road for this one. Pete Carroll’s squad is 3-3-0 this season after going 7-10 last year. He has been at the helm since 2010 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Seattle Seahawks have a betting line of +6 or you could bet them straight up at 200.

32-year-old Geno Smith will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2013 after playing his college days at West Virginia. Geno Smith has a quarterback rating of 108.1 on 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He’s started 6 games and thrown for 1502yards, a completion percentage of 73.4.

Kenneth Walker III is the lead back for the Seahawks running game. The 22-year-old has taken 44 carries and rushed for 243 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 48.6 YPG and he has scored 2 touchdowns with 0 fumbles.

On the passing front, Geno Smith will look to target D.K. Metcalf against the Pete Carroll defense. D.K. Metcalf has 2 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 50 times and made 30 catches for 406 yards. D.K. Metcalf has a catch percentage of 60.0% and his yards per reception is 13.5.

According to FootballOutsiders, the Seattle Seahawks offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of 14.7% which ranks at number 4 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is 1.3%, the number 15 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 3 with a Rush DVOA total of 35.8%.

If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 6 Red Zone touchdowns on 18 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.333.

Seattle Seahawks Defense/Special Teams:

The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Jason Myers to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 56 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Jason Myers has made 12 field goals on 56 attempts, a field goal percentage of 92.3%.

The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Seahawks with a Defensive DVOA of 6.5% which ranks at 22/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.

Against the pass they rank at #10 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of -2.4%. Comparatively, the run defense has a 3.3% DVOA which ranks at #11.

Key Match-ups:

  • Justin Herbert QB Rating of 93.1 vs. Seattle Seahawks Pass DVOA Defense of 1.3%
    The Seahawks have 4 interceptions this year and 14 sacks. They are allowing 27.2 points per game.
  • Austin Ekeler vs. Seattle Seahawks number 3 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
    Opponents are averaging 5.1 yards per carry against the the Seattle Seahawks and 165.8 per game.
  • Geno Smith QB Rating of 108.1 vs. Los Angeles Chargers #10 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
    The Chargers defense has allowed 25.3 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 15 times and picked him off 6 times.
  • Kenneth Walker III vs. Los Angeles Chargers 2.2% DVOA Rush Defense
    The Chargers are giving up 125 YPG on 5.6 per carry thus far this season.

Seahawks/Chargers Bettting Stats:

Seahawks Against the spread: 3-3-0
Seahawks Over/Under: 3-3-0

Chargers Against the spread: 4-2-0
Chargers Over/Under: 3-3-0

The best bet is Los Angeles Chargers -6 and Over 51.