Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Dolphins?

Can the Los Angeles Chargers close out a game?

The Los Angeles Chargers are considered 1.5-point underdogs to the Miami Dolphins in Week 10 of the 2020 regular season. The over/under is set at 48.5 points, per BetMGM.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 48.5 points.

My official score prediction for the game is a 30-27 win for the Dolphins, with a combined total of 57 points. So if we were putting money behind our prediction, we’d bet the over.

As for game picks, the majority of analysts believe Miami will come out on top while some still are optimistic about Los Angeles.

Expert	Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today)	Dolphins
Mike Jones (USA Today)	Dolphins
Mike Clay (ESPN)	Dolphins
Dan Graziano (ESPN)	Dolphins
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports)	Chargers
Jared Dubin (CBS Sports)	Dolphins
Frank Schwab (Yahoo Sports)	Dolphins
Bleacher Report	Dolphins

Sunday’s game will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Prediction poll for matchup between Chargers vs. Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins enter this week’s matchup looking to pick up their fifth straight victory.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to face off against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1:05 p.m. PT at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Chargers are desperate for a win after suffering another heartbreaking defeat to the Raiders last Sunday, marking the sixth by a touchdown or less. For the Dolphins, they are looking to pick up their fifth straight victory.

Los Angeles has continued to be carried by rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, who has 19 touchdowns and five interceptions on the season. However, Herbert will be facing a Miami defense that is only allowing 20.1 points per game.

There will be another rookie signal-caller on the field, with that being Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa and company on the offensive side of the ball haven’t done anything out of this world to draw some concern. But the Bolts’ inconsistency on defense, especially late in the game, is rather concerning.

L.A. is playing for job security among both players and coaches while the Dolphins are playing to make a push for the playoffs. I expect Herbert to outduel Tagovailoa, but Miami will string together a couple of late drives that will be enough to seal the deal.

I’ve got the Dolphins beating the Chargers by the score of 30-27.

With that being said, who do you think will win? Post in the poll below.

3 keys to a Chargers’ victory over Dolphins in Week 10

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out how Los Angeles can take care of business in Miami in Week 10.

The Chargers are set to travel to Miami to face a hot Dolphins team, eager to overcome their heartbreaking losses.

In order to do so, there are a few things that Los Angeles will need to do in order to a secure a victory.

Establish the ground game

The Chargers have done a great job at running the football the past few weeks, averaging 157.5 yards per game. The Dolphins have a stout defense, holding opponents to 20.1 points per game, but they’re susceptible to giving up field position, especially on the ground as they rank No. 28 in the league, allowing 131.8 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Miami’s interior defensive line and linebackers have struggled, and they will be without Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy, who were both placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Protect the gold

The Dolphins are not going to make life easy on quarterback Justin Herbert. Miami is known for bringing the pressure, as their 20 sacks rank 12th in the NFL. While Herbert has the NFL’s third-highest rating against the blitz among qualified passers, he has never faced a defense like this where they disguise their coverages and the way they blitz. The Dolphins are notorious for calling a handful of blitz zeros per game, which means that the defense rushes everyone but the kicker. Miami has only allowed one quarterback (Kyler Murray) to finish with a rating above 100. Herbert has been sacked 14 times in seven games. The rookie has been lights out, but this week won’t be an easy task. The protection has to be dialed in or else turnovers are prone to occur, and the Dolphins happen to be stingy with the football, forcing 14 takeaways this season.

Dialed in defense

The Chargers have looked like they possess a top defensive unit since the beginning of the season, but only the first two quarters. I’ve said it before, but this is a game where they have the opportunity to flourish on the defensive side of the ball. Miami is 28th in offensive yards per game (322.9), including 97.1 rushing yards per game. The Dolphins rank 26th in the NFL when it comes to converting third downs (38.9 percent). Edge defenders Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will be facing two rookie tackles, making this a good opportunity to apply consistent pressure of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Miami also has a depleted running back and wide receiver room, especially after the loss of Preston Williams. Most importantly, Los Angeles must minimize the missed tackles and blown coverages and assignments, too.

3 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 10 opponent, Dolphins

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez previews the Miami Dolphins heading into Week 10.

The Chargers are set to embark on an battle against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Here are three things to know about Los Angeles’ Week 10 opponent:

One of the league’s best defenses

Miami’s success that they’ve been having this season attributes a lot to their defense. The Dolphins are allowing only 20.4 points per game, and they’ve been stingy with the football, forcing 14 takeaways. Along with that, the defensive unit has scored three non-offensive touchdowns in the last two games. They have done this by disguising their coverages and the way they blitz, making life difficult on opposing quarterbacks.

Checking in on the rookie

If the Dolphins wouldn’t have taken quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, there’s a chance that he could have been selected one spot after by the Chargers. Tagovailoa wasn’t thrown into the action until Week 8 after sitting behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. But since taking over, he is 2-0. While the wins have primarily been dictated by their defensive dominance, Tagovailoa has still shown some promise under center, including a performance where he threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals last Sunday.

Offense isn’t much of a threat

The Dolphins are a team that the Chargers should worry about because what they can do on defense. But on offense, it doesn’t necessary apply. Even though they’re 10th in points per game (27.8) due to the position the defense has put them in, Miami is 28th in offensive yards per game (322.9), including 97.1 rushing yards per game. The Dolphins rank 26th in the NFL when it comes to converting third downs (38.9 percent). The team’s running back and wide receiver corps isn’t as imposing and they will be without Preston Williams, who was placed on the injured reserve.

Chargers open as underdogs vs. Dolphins in Week 10

The Miami Dolphins have been red hot.

The Los Angeles Chargers (2-6) have opened up as 2.5-point underdogs to the Miami Dolphins (5-3) in Week 10 of the 2020 regular season, per BetMGM.

The Chargers dropped their sixth game of the season in yet another heartbreaking fashion to the Raiders. The Bolts kept it close, but they were unable to execute on the final play of the game, as tight end Donald Parham failed to reel in quarterback Justin Herbert’s pass in its entirety.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins won their fourth straight game, second with rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Miami’s success has been a combination of both offensive and defensive contributions, but their defense, which is only allowing 20.1 points per game, has been the bright spot.

Sunday’s matchup will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

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