The second contest on the AFC side of the playoff bracket features the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Chargers visiting the second-seeded New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. This will be the fifth all-time postseason meeting between New England and Los Angeles (including their days in San Diego) with the Patriots leading the all-time playoff series, 3-1.
Los Angeles arrives in the playoffs on a two-game losing streak with losses to two potential playoff opponents: the Denver Broncos in Week 17 and the Houston Texans in Week 18. Prior to those two losses, the Chargers had been riding a wave of seven wins over eight games. If L.A. can get back to their winning ways from early December, the West Coast club could disrupt the AFC postseason scene.
New England ripped the AFC East Division away from the Buffalo Bills which provided them this home date against Los Angeles. The Patriots won their final three games of the 2025 regular season and held a 13-1 record over its last 14 contests with the only loss coming in Week 3 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
AFC Wild Card: (7) Los Angeles Chargers at (3) New England Patriots
Kick Off: 8:15 p.m. ET (Sun., 01/11/25)
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
TV: NBC / Peacock
Los Angeles brings a winning record against the spread (9-8) and the moneyline (11-6), but holds a losing mark against the over-under (7-10). New England has been excellent versus the sportsbooks all season with a winning record against the spread (12-5), the moneyline (14-3), and the over-under (11-6).
| AFC Wild Card Odds: Chargers at Patriots | |
| Spread | NE -3.5 |
| Moneyline | LAC +164, NE -196 |
| Over-Under Total | 45.5 points |
| Money Against the Spread | 62% NE |
| Bets Against the Spread | 63% NE |
| Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook | Odds are subject to change |
ESPN Analytics expects New England to score the victory with a 54% chance of winning on Sunday night.
Best bet: Drake Maye 275+ Passing Yards
Drake Maye nearly doubled his year-over-year passing yardage from 2,276 passing yards in his rookie season to 4,394 in his second NFL campaign. The 23-year-old QB was selected as a Second team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press after finishing with the highest Quarterback Rating in the NFL at 113.5.
The Chargers defense ranks in the middle of the pack after allowing 212.2 passing yards per game over 17 games. Linebacker Daiyan Henley and safety Derwin James Jr. combined for nearly 200 tackles this season and those two athletes will be the main players to watch as Los Angeles attempts to disrupt New England’s passing game.
| AFC Wild Card: Maye Passing Yards vs. Chargers | |
| Maye 200+ Passing Yards | -330 |
| Maye 225+ Passing Yards | -172 |
| Maye 250+ Passing Yards | +114 |
| Maye 275+ Passing Yards | +205 |
| Maye 300+ Passing Yards | +370 |
| Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook | Odds subject to change |
This will be the fifth all-time postseason meeting between the Chargers and the Patriots with the L.A.-based franchise holding a 3-1 advantage over their East Coast counterparts. It will be the first Wild Card matchup in postseason series history. It will likely be up to the Chargers defense to slow down a high-scoring Patriots offense in order to score an upset victory on the road.
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