BFTB Roundtable: Chargers vs. Falcons Week 8 score predictions

The LA Chargers take the field against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday for a must-win game against a divisional leader. A loss sets them back at .500 with nine games remaining while a win would at least give them some breathing room prior to a two-game stretch against the 49ers and Chiefs. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Chargers as 2.5-point favorites over the Falcons.

Curious to see what our staff predicted for this game? Let’s go ahead and dive in.

Michael Peterson: I don’t think there’s anyway around it. The Chargers need to win this game or they risk a potential four-game losing streak with the 49ers and Chiefs coming up in weeks 10 and 11. The Falcons are going to run the heck out of the football and the Chargers struggle to stop the run. On the flip-side, the Chargers are going to throw the rock around the yard against a Falcons pass defense that ranks dead last in the NFL.

Which side will find a way to break the mold? In the end, I think it’s the team that finds a way to do just that that will win this game.

Final Score: Chargers 20-17

Matthew Stanley: I think the Chargers are going to have a hard time winning this game. They somehow are even more banged up coming out of the bye than they were going into it. Justin Herbert is going to be throwing to a banged up Josh Palmer and a bunch of practice squad guys. Ekeler isn’t 100% and will be on a snap count. Then on defense they’re facing a run heavy team with a mobile QB. Basically, this feels like a game the Chargers really are going to have a hard time winning, even against a not very good Falcons team.

Final Score: Chargers 20-17

Garrett Sisti: The Chargers somehow found a way to take the week off during the bye and rack up even more injuries and now they go on the road to face...the first place Falcons? The Chargers have had issues stopping the run and Atlanta has been effective this year on the ground and they get Cordarelle Patterson back for this game. The Falcons struggle in pass coverage without one of the NFL’s best corners A.J. Terrell but the bad news for the Chargers is they are without a chunk of their pass catchers Sunday. This is one of those games you wish you had a guy like Dontrelle Inman or Seyi Ajirotutu to throw to because the receivers the Chargers are going to tout out on Sunday will not be pretty. This will be a low-scoring afair but I think the Chargers find a way to win behind a gigantic game from Austin Ekeler.

Final Score: Chargers 17-13