When the Detroit Lions host the Los Angeles Chargers this coming Sunday at Ford Field, it will be as close to a must-win game that a team can have this early in the season.
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The reason why the Lions absolutely must defeat the Chargers in Week 2 is that they somehow managed to blow an 18-point fourth-quarter lead before eventually tying the Arizona Cardinals in the opening week of the season. That, coupled with their upcoming schedule over the next five weeks, makes picking up a win over Philip Rivers and company extremely important.
So, what do the oddsmakers think about the Week 2 matchup between the Lions and Chargers?
Detroit is currently listed as a 2.5-point home ‘dog to the Chargers and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the spread move to three. While the Lions looked like the better team for the majority of their Week 1 clash with Arizona, the Cardinals are likely to wind up being one of the worst teams in the league, in particular on defense. The Chargers, on the other hand, finished 7-1 on the road last year and didn’t miss Melvin Gordon one iota in their win over the Colts. The emergence of T.J. Hockenson aside, Lions aren’t on the Chargers’ level right now, and Ford Field hasn’t provided much of a home-field edge lately.
You can bet the Lions will come out with a sense of urgency in this one, but will it be enough to pick up a win over one of the top teams in the AFC?
Time will tell.