Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL amid much fanfare in 2024 and did not disappoint in his first year with the Los Angeles Chargers, taking them to the playoffs while improving the team’s record by six wins. A disastrous showing against the Texans in the wild-card round, where Justin Herbert threw four interceptions (more than in all 17 regular-season games combined) and had virtually no success in the passing game, showed there was still work to do in order to improve the offense to the level of a championship contender, and the organization threw both free-agency and draft-pick resources at improving each group of skill position players around Herbert.
At running back, former Steelers lead back Najee Harris and first-round pick Omarion Hampton give the Chargers an improved 1-2 punch after the former Ravens duo of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards led the 24th-best rushing attack in terms of yards per attempt. At receiver, Mike Williams returns to the fold after the oft-injured receiver became the second player in the Super Bowl era to play in 18 regular-season games (nine with the Jets, nine with the Steelers) in one season, though his impact on the field was minimal. He’ll be joined by second-rounder Tre Harris and fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith at the receiver position. At tight end, veteran Tyler Conklin and fifth-rounder Oronde Gadsden II give the team more options behind Will Dissly.
For the Chargers to take the next step, they’ll have to prove themselves against opponents in the class they want to join after going 2-6 against teams that made the playoffs (including the wild-card loss), with their only wins coming against the division-rival Broncos. They’ll be put to the test late in the season, with road matchups against the Chiefs, Broncos and Cowboys plus home meetings with the Eagles and Texans on tap. That makes it all the more important to get out to a quick start, especially with divisional opponents scheduled the first three weeks.
We’re going to take a quick look at the Chargers’ 2024 season and the rest of their offseason moves before getting into their track record in NFL futures over the last five years. After that, you can find the odds available at top sportsbooks for their 2025 win total along with Super Bowl and playoff odds as well as key player props to know. Finally, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of betting on the Chargers in 2025 and give out our best bets.
2024 Los Angeles Chargers season review
- Regular season: 11-6 (Second, AFC West)
- Playoffs: L, Wild-card round at Texans 32-12
- First team since 1992-93 Giants to go from 24th or worse to first in scoring defense
- Justin Herbert: Second-fewest interceptions (3) in a season with 500+ attempts all-time
- Jim Harbaugh: Made playoffs in four of five seasons as head coach
2025 Los Angeles Chargers offseason review
QB | Easton Stick | Trey Lance | |
RB | J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards | Najee Harris | Omarion Hampton (1) |
WR | Josh Palmer, DJ Chark, Semi Fehoko | Mike Williams | Tre Harris (2), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (5) |
TE | Hayden Hurst | Tyler Conklin, Jordan Petaia | Oronde Gadsden (5) |
OL | Brenden Jaimes, Sam Mustipher | Mekhi Becton, Andre James | Branson Taylor (6) |
DL | Poona Ford, Morgan Fox | Da’Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones | Jamaree Caldwell (3) |
EDGE | Joey Bosa | Kyle Kennard (4) | |
LB | Del’Shawn Phillips, Kana’i Mauga | ||
CB | Kristian Fulton, Eli Apple, Asante Samuel Jr. | Donte Jackson, Benjamin St-Juste | Trikweze Bridges (7) |
S | Marcus Maye | RJ Mickens (6) | |
STAFF |
Five-year futures odds and trends
2024 | +4000 | 9 | Over | 11 | L, Wild card round |
2023 | +2500 | 9.5 | Under | 5 | 4th, AFC West |
2022 | +1380 | 10.5 | Under | 10 | L, Wild card round |
2021 | +3000 | 9.5 | Under | 9 | 3rd, AFC West |
2020 | +6000 | 8 | Under | 7 | 3rd, AFC West |
Historical betting data via Pro-Football-Reference.
2025 Los Angeles Chargers futures odds
Go Over win total | 9.5 (-110) | 9.5 (-115) | 9.5 (-110) | 9.5 (+100) |
Go Under win total | 9.5 (-110) | 9.5 (-105) | 9.5 (-110) | 9.5 (-120) |
Win Super Bowl | +2800 | +2600 | +2800 | +2700 |
Win AFC | +1200 | +1200 | +1400 | +1300 |
Win AFC West | +310 | +275 | +310 | +310 |
Make playoffs | -145 | -135 | -140 | -122 |
Miss playoffs | +120 | +115 | +110 | +100 |
Win No. 1 seed | +1200 | +1200 | +1300 | +1400 |
Odds subject to change.
2025 Justin Herbert props
MVP | +2000 | +2200 | +1800 | +2000 |
Offensive POY | +6600 | +6000 | +7500 | +7500 |
Most pass yards | +2000 | +2200 | +2600 | |
Pass yards O/U | 3700.5 | 3700.5 | 3600.5 | 3650.5 |
Pass TDs O/U | 22.5 | 22.5 | 22.5 | 21.5 |
Odds subject to change.
Reasons to back the Chargers
Jim Harbaugh’s impact on the franchise was felt immediately last year as the team did not give up more than 20 points or 400 yards in any of their first nine games en route to ranking first in scoring defense after years of finishing worse than 20th under Brandon Staley. It’s unlikely they’ll finish first again, but improvements on the offensive side could give this team a top-10 scoring unit on both sides of the ball after an 11th-place finish on offense last year. Justin Herbert’s league-best interception rate shows he fits well in Greg Roman’s offense, and the level of talent he has displayed in his first five seasons gives this team a Super Bowl ceiling. He’s thrown the third-most passing yards of anyone since stepping into the league yet has the second-lowest interception rate of any quarterback to throw at least 1,000 passes during that five-year span.
Expect more from the Chargers’ rushing attack this year with Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris leading the charge. Last year, J.K. Dobbins started the season with two big performances and then averaged just 3.8 yards per carry from Week 3 on, while Gus Edwards managed just 3.6 yards per carry on the season. 2024 featured the lowest rush yards, rush attempts and yards per rush of any Greg Roman offense in his tenure as an NFL offensive coordinator, and the investments at running back show the direction the team wants to go on that side of the ball.
Reasons to fade the Chargers
How much regression will the defense face? The team didn’t replace Joey Bosa at edge rusher with anything but a fourth-round pick, so Khalil Mack isn’t going to have much help unless Tuli Tuipulotu takes a leap forward in his second year or Bud Dupree plays well above his baseline level of talent. That puts more pressure on a cornerback group that had only one player (Tarheeb Still) grade out well last year, per PFF. While regression should be expected, it’s not out of the question that this group falls all the way back down to the 20s in terms of scoring defense.
For the work done upgrading at running back, it’s anyone’s guess if the new faces at receiver and tight end will represent any upgrade at all. Quentin Johnson is stretched as a WR2, and the best-case scenario is that second-rounder Tre Harris will immediately step in as a featured weapon to complement Ladd McConkey. If that doesn’t happen, it’s unlikely Mike Williams is going to generate much defensive focus at this stage of his career. If the Chargers find themselves down, needing to lean on the passing game to generate a comeback, will they be able to do so with these weapons if a competent defense focuses on neutralizing McConkey?
How to bet the Chargers in 2025
- Over 9.5 wins +100 (FanDuel)
- Justin Herbert Under 22.5 TDs -110 (BetMGM)
The Chargers are a difficult team for me to bet this season. I could see the offense take a leap forward thanks to an improved rushing attack and, paired with a quality defense, be a team that finishes top five in point differential. I could also see the defense regressing, with the passing attack unable to pick up the slack, and this team finishing below .500. Ultimately, I’m going to trust in Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and Greg Roman to help this team return to the playoffs, but I see more value in backing the even-money play on Over 9.5 wins rather than the -122 make playoffs price at FanDuel.
Herbert had 23 touchdowns last season, and it’s reasonable to expect more considering his numbers earlier in his career, including a 38-touchdown season in 2021. But while Ladd McConkey is doing his best to be the Keenan Allen of the new-look Chargers offense, there really isn’t a replacement for Austin Ekeler considering the skill sets of Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, both of whom are more punishers on the ground than receivers. I expect more run-focused attacks in the red zone with the upgraded rushers, and I can’t see a repeat of Quentin Johnston‘s eight TDs on just 55 receptions. The Chargers finished 13th in passing TDs last year, but Roman offenses typically rank in the bottom half of the category. Even with perfect health, Herbert could struggle to get to 23 again.