NFL picks, predictions Week 17: New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers

16 hours ago 2

The New England Patriots are winless in their last five games (six weeks including the bye), and on Saturday, they'll host the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

New England's 3-12 record has already eliminated them from the postseason, but a win would be beneficial for their confidence to end a frustrating season.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, stands at 9-6 and is still fighting for a playoff spot. A Chargers' win or a tie will clinch a berth for them, so they'll be going all out this weekend.

Before we see these two teams take the field, let's see what some experts are saying about this matchup.

NFL picks, predictions Week 17: Patriots vs. Chargers

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Patriots 10, Chargers 24

Iyer: "The Chargers tend to take care of bad teams under Jim Harbaugh. The Patriots qualify as such. Los Angeles will keep it simple with Justin Herbert throwing downfield, the power running game handling ample touches, and an attacking defense harassing Drake Maye. The long road trip won't faze them, as the Chargers seem to operate better as nomads away from their lack of home-field edge in Los Angeles."

Bill Bender, Sporting News: Patriots 14, Chargers 23

Bender: "The Chargers' defense needs to get back on track, and this is an opportunity to do that. The Patriots have allowed 167.5 rushing yards per game the past two weeks, so Jim Harbaugh should get that working again, too. Los Angeles needs this one. The Chargers are 4-3 S/U on the road, but Justin Herbert has seven TDS and one interception in those games."

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Patriots 13, Chargers 24

Cluff: "The Chargers have the NFL's best scoring defense. The Patriots have one of the NFL's worst-scoring offenses. Bad news for New England."

Matt Johnson, Sportsnaut: Patriots 17, Chargers 27

Johnson: "The Los Angeles Chargers defense has taken a step back in recent weeks, allowing a 111.1 QB rating, 72.1 percent completion rate and 7-1 TD-INT line to opposing quarterbacks in the last three games. However, the New England Patriots offensive line will likely stand in the way of Drake Maye approaching those numbers. Maye will have some highlights against this Chargers defense in Week 17, but Los Angeles is far better-coached and should handle its business to earn a playoff spot."