Dear friends, Boltfans, countryfolk— you don’t need me to recount what a gut-wrenching debacle last week was. The Chargers had the game—THEY HAD THE GAME—and then they didn’t.

But that doesn’t mean that shrewd betting was a loss, either! And, in the case of our poor friend, the Degenerate Gambler, semi-logical bets can still take the day.

Our ne’r-do-well bettor puts $100 on the line each week the Chargers play, and each week he wears his fingernails down wondering if he has to change his name and flee his creditors.

We know that he has been less than sure about the Chargers’ identity lately, so how did he do against the Titans?

Week 7 Chargers @ Titans

• Wager 1 - Chargers win: $ 25.00 [ +115 ] LOSS
• Wager 2 - Chargers 1st half points - Above 7.5 : $ 35.00 [ -115 ] W $30.43
• Wager 3 - Chargers win both halves : $ 16.00 [ +200 ] LOSS
• Wager 4 - Team with most punts - Titans : $ 24.00 [ +140 ] W $ 33.60

TOTAL PROFIT: $23.03

Well, that last second unspeakable thing-that-happened cost our friend a potential payday of $76.78. Ending a road loss with a positive cash flow, though— that’s a win in his book. The Chargers and Titans are both unpredictable teams, but this is the sort of game that the Degenerate Gambler loves to bet in. He knows the Bolts are more than good enough to win the day, so the abundance of positive-earning bets for what amounts to, at best, a 50-50 proposition, that’s when he can potentially rake in the dough. It’s never a sure thing, as we can see!

Another week, another two teams that are light years away from their pre-season potential. Let’s take a look at the bets that the Degenerate Gambler is considering for this week.

Week 9 Chargers @ Bears

• Wager 1 - First half total - Under 20.5 : $ 25.00 [ -105 ] Possible win: $23.81
• Wager 2 - First half - Chargers up by .5 pts : $ 15.00 [ +135 ] Possible win: $20.25
• Wager 3 - Bears total points - Under 22.5 : $ 35.00 [ -110 ] Possible win: $31.82
• Wager 4 - Chargers first score - Field Goal : $ 15.00 [+115 ] Possible win: $17.25
• Wager 5 - Chargers - First Team to 10 pts : $ 10.00 [ +130 ] Possible win: $13.00

TOTAL POSSIBLE WIN: $106.13

Well, not really all-that-much to unpack here. It looks like this should be another defensive week in the Gambler’s estimation. In fact, it looks like our friend expects the Chargers to keep in the game through at least the first half! It’s hard to believe in the Bolts winning the day against a solid opponent, but the moneyline currently at [+165] surely had the Degenerate Gambler salivating. As he learned last week (and the weeks before), even the best value bet doesn’t win a penny if the intended team can’t get the job done.

For that reason, if these two teams can keep the game competitive (and it’s hard to imagine a shoot-out), then these bets should do well. In fact, our gambling friend should know his week’s fate before the first half is over.. for better or for worse.

-Jason “Da Bums” Michaels