When we last checked in with our anti-hero, the delightful ne’r-do-well known as the Degenerate Gambler, he was just waking up from a several-month coma. Last season was certainly a game of highs-and-lows (sorry, overs and unders), but the Gambler made it out of the regular season with a positive cash flow!

As you might remember, the Degenerate Gambler puts $100 on the line each week with a variety of Chargers-centric bets. He sometimes dabbles in side-action, such as Super Bowl futures and post season fun, but he generally chooses his favorite Bolts bets each week to lay his hard-won cash on the line.

Last year? He made a positive cash flow of $78.15 through the regular season. During the post season, he was riding high on the Chargers and netted an additional $55.75 after the Ravens game, bringing his 2018/19 total to $133.90... until the Patriots came to bat. The Gambler lost all $100 waged during that contest, bringing his year to a positive income of $33.90, but plunging him into a several-month bender and forced gambling hiatus. The Chargers joined him in the football deadzone...until now!

Week 1 Colts @ Chargers

• Wager 1 - Chargers - 1st Half spread (-3.5) $30 [-110] Possible win: $27.27
• Wager 2 - Total O/U: Under 44.5 $20 [-110] Possible win: $18.18
• Wager 3 - Odd/Even total points: Even $20 [+110] Possible win: $ 22.00
• Wager 4 - Highest scoring quarter (1st) $30 [+600] Possible win: $180.00

So there we have it, a scattering of bets for the first unsure steps of a new season. From the Gambler’s picks we can see that he agrees with the vast majority that the Chargers should win the day. However, the current line is at -6.5 for the Bolts, which is hard to lock into this early in the season. The Colts had Super Bowl aspirations just three weeks ago, so this is a team that will not likely roll over and die.

That said, the over also looks bad because the defense of both teams should secure the day. With so many unknowns, the Gambler took the odds on a rare even/odd bet, taking the slight underdog bet of evens. His most exciting bet of the day will rest on whether one or both teams can score soon out of the gate. It is an interesting bet, as far as long shots go. There's reason to believe that both teams could settle in for a defensive match after the first volleys. Is it likely? No. But at +600, our anti-hero would walk away with a win on the day even if all of his other bets fail.

Welp, if luck is on his side, he'll just about double his investment in one quarter of play. I guess that's what makes it a gamble!

- Jason “Don't get cute, just win” Michaels