Los Angeles Chargers picks

The Chargers play as the road team in their own building Sunday afternoon at SoFi. They're 0-6 and coming off a bye, facing a 3-4 Rams team that's better than its record. I'm laying the 6.5 with the Rams. The Chargers aren't losing on bad luck. They score 15.0 points a game, have 9 offensive touchdowns in six games and have topped 17 points once. Every opponent has scored between 22 and 30 against them. Justin Herbert is averaging 6.3 yards per attempt with 5 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and 21 sacks taken. The team has 15 giveaways, with at least one in every game, and converts 34% of its third downs. Five of the six losses came by 7 or more. The four opponents both teams have played tell the same story. Arizona beat the Chargers by 12 and the Rams by 2. Las Vegas won by 12 at the Chargers' place, while the Rams won in Las Vegas by 14. The Rams also did better against Denver and Buffalo. Davante Adams is out, but the Rams have already played without him. At Las Vegas they gained 386 yards, ran for 199 and scored touchdowns on all 5 red-zone trips. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for 192 yards on 33 carries. The Chargers give up about 124 rushing yards a game, and their secondary is thin, with Derwin James on IR and Deane Leonard out. There are real risks. The Rams' kicking is shaky: Harrison Mevis went 5-of-9 on field goals, Brandon McManus is the third kicker in three weeks, and long snapper Joe Cardona is doubtful. Center Coleman Shelton and cornerback Trent McDuffie are both questionable. Four of the Rams' seven games were decided by 4 points or fewer. The Chargers get Joe Alt, Tre Harris and Ladd McConkey back after the bye, and there's no true home field here. Even so, the Chargers keep giving games away, and the Rams have shown they can win comfortably without Adams. I'll take the Rams at -6.5, but I wouldn't lay 7.5.