NFL Week 8 odds: Patriots listed as 5.5-point underdogs to the Chargers despite blowout win over the Jets

By Bernd Buchmasser@BerndBuchmasser Oct 25, 2021, 6:40am EDT

New England Patriots v Los Angeles Chargers

In Week 7, for the first time all season, the New England Patriots dominated their opponent and eventually earned a 54-13 victory over their AFC East rivals from New York. It was their first home win of the season, and their third overall. Now at 3-4, however, a much more difficult task awaits.

The Patriots will fly to Los Angeles this week to take on the Chargers. Not only are they coming fresh off their bye week, they are also entering the contest at 4-2. Unsurprisingly, New England is therefore listed as an underdog heading into the game.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Patriots are a 5.5-point road underdog this week.

Based on this season, the line certainly seems reasonable. That said, recent history favors New England: when the Patriots traveled to L.A. last year they were able to celebrate a 45-0 win. A repeat performance should not be expected, though.