Jayden Daniles is expected back under center Sunday when the Commanders (2-2) face Justin Herbert and the Chargers (3-1) in Los Angeles.
The Commanders went 1-1 with Marcus Mariota running the show with Daniels on the sidelines knocking off the Raiders but falling short against the Falcons. Washington needs to put a few wins together or risk Philadelphia running away with the NFC East title again this season.
The Chargers were riding high and undefeated until last week’s encounter with Jaxson Dart and the Giants. That result - a 21-18 loss - coupled with the Chiefs and Broncos each getting back to .500 with wins last week makes the AFC West plenty tighter than it looked just a week ago.
Lets take a deeper dive into this Week 5 matchup between these playoff contenders.
NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from DraftKings, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.
Game Details and How to watch the Commanders vs. Chargers live Sunday
- Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025
- Time: 4:25PM EST
- Site: SoFi Stadium
- City: Inglewood, CA
- Network/Streaming: FOX
Want to check out the other games on the NFL schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!
Game odds for the Commanders at the Chargers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Washington Commanders (+130), Los Angeles Chargers (-155)
- Spread: Chargers -2.5
- Total: 47.5 points
This game opened at Chargers -3.0 with the Game Total set at 47.0.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NFL schedule!
Quarterback Matchup for Washington at Los Angeles
- Commanders Expected Starting QB: Jayden Daniels
Last Game: 9/11 at Green Bay - 24-42, 200yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, Sacked 4 times, 7 carries for 17yds
Season: 2GP, 43-72, 433yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, Sacked 7 times, 18 carries for 85yds - Chargers Expected Starting QB: Justin Herbert
Last Game: 9/28 at NY Giants - 23-41, 1 TD, 2 INTs, Sacked 2 times, 1 carry for 24yds
Season: 4GP, 95-149, 1,063yds, 7 TDs, 3 INTs, Sacked 12 times, 19 carries for 93yds
Commanders at Chargers team stats, betting trends
- The Chargers are 2-1-1 ATS this season
- The Commanders are 2-2 ATS this season
- Game Totals in Chargers’ games are 3-1 to the OVER this season
- Game Totals in Commanders’ games are 2-2 to the OVER this season
- The Chargers’ last 5 home games have gone over the Total
Commanders Player Injuries
- WR Deebo Samuel (heel) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- DE Dorance Armstrong (illness) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Mike Sainristil (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- LB Ale Kaho (concussion) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Noah Brown groin/knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Terry McLaurin (quad) is questionable for Sunday’s game
Chargers Player Injuries
- LT Joe Alt (ankle) is doubtful for Sunday’s game
- S Derwin James Jr. (hip) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- TE Will Dissly (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- WR Derius Davis (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- CB Tarheeb Still (ankle) is questionable for Sunday’s game
- RG Mekhi Becton (undisclosed) is questionable for Sunday’s game
Rotoworld Bet Best Bets
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper): Game Total UNDER 48.5 (-106)
The limitations on Daniels and the offensive line injuries for LA make this more of a chess match than the 48.5-point total would suggest. Good to 47.5.
Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick): Game Total UNDER 48.5
I think this Chargers team is in real trouble right now. Left tackle Joe Alt is down with an ankle sprain and expected to miss 4–6 weeks, which is a huge blow to an offensive line that was already shaky.
Justin Herbert was under constant duress last week against the Giants — yes, that’s a legit pass rush — but the offense as a whole just didn’t look right. They couldn’t get much going through the air and looked out of rhythm from start to finish.
That puts more pressure on Omarion Hampton to jump-start the ground game. Even if Jayden [insert QB’s last name]is in there, they’re still without “Scary” Terry McLaurin, and that limits how dynamic they can be through the air.
On the other side, you have a Chargers defense that ranks third in the NFL against the pass. That unit can make life miserable for a banged-up offense that’s already struggling to protect its quarterback.
Put it all together — the injuries, the protection issues, the lack of explosive playmakers, and the strength of the Chargers’ pass defense — and this matchup sets up as a grind.
I like the under at 45.5 points. It’s hard to see either team consistently moving the ball or turning this into a shootout.
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, stadium information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Best bets our model is projecting for this week’s game between the Commanders and the Chargers:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Commanders at +2.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 47.5.
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest betting info & tools for NFL with player news, game predictions, player props, futures, and trends!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
● Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
● Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
● Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
● Trysta Krick (@Trista_Krick)
