It has been a weird season for primetime matchups, and Week 15 is no different. Thursday Night Football features Easton Stick and Aidan O’Connell, and Monday Night Football was going to feature Bailey Zappe and the Patriots before it was flexed out for the first time in NFL history (now that’s embarrassing!).
Back to Thursday night…. I have crafted a Same Game Parlay at FanDuel Sportsbook that pays out at nearly 30/1, so it’s well worth the read.
Austin Ekeler to score a touchdown (+170)
Let's discuss the elephant in the room: Justin Herbert. The franchise quarterback is out for the season after breaking his finger in Week 14. That means Stick will take over Herbert's duties, and Thursday Night Football will be just his 3rd time playing in an NFL game. Stick was drafted in 2019 and made 1 pass in 2020, but he then had a 3-year gap in his next appearance on the field, which happened on Sunday. Stick was 13-of-24 for 179 yards after taking over for Herbert and didn't have the benefit of consistently handing the ball off to Austin Ekeler because the Chargers were already losing by a lot. However, Thursday night should be a different story.
L.A. head coach Brandon Staley will likely play it safe with the play calls for Stick. That means fewer deep throws and more checkdowns to Ekeler. Plus, Ekeler will likely get 15+ carries since he's the primary back. Fortunately for Ekeler, he gets a favorable matchup against a Las Vegas defense that allows the 8th-most rushing yards per game. The Chargers will keep the ball on the ground a lot more with Stick under center, and Ekeler should benefit from that. If the Chargers are going to score, it will more than likely be from Ekeler.