The New England Patriots (11-5) have not won less than 12 games during the regular season or been favored by less than six points going into their previous seven AFC Divisional Playoff games - all of which they have won.
However, this Sunday at Gillette Stadium the Patriots will be hosting a Los Angeles Chargers team that has a better record (13-4) and is riding a seven-game road winning streak both straight up and against the spread. New England is a four-point favorite on the NFL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, the lowest number for the team at home in the playoffs since 2010.
The Patriots lost to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 as four-point favorites in the Wild Card round then, and they have since gone 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in their first postseason game the last eight years. New England has had the luxury of home-field advantage in all of those games.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles has enjoyed a lot of success away from home the past two seasons since moving from San Diego and upset the Ravens 23-17 last Sunday as three-point road underdogs to kick off their playoff run. The big question is, will it end Sunday in Foxborough or continue on with the team's first AFC Championship Game appearance in 12 years?
The Chargers have gone 12-4 SU and 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games, according to the OddsShark NFL Database, including last week's victory.
Chargers veteran quarterback Philip Rivers played with a torn ACL the last time they visited the Patriots in the postseason, which was also the last time they were a game away from the Super Bowl. Rivers is hoping to get the best of New England's Tom Brady this time around after falling 21-12 in that last playoff meeting, and the defense could be the difference.
Los Angeles sacked Baltimore rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson seven times last week and had one interception while holding the opposition scoreless through the first two quarters. Brady is obviously no rookie, and as a future Hall of Famer, his legacy will not be judged by this game either. While Brady's experience figures to work in his team's favor, the Patriots are also hoping the ageless wonder does not finally break down when they need him the most.
New England Patriots
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