Chargers vs. Patriots prediction: Wild Card picks, odds, best bets for NFL playoffs

It’s amazing what can happen overnight when a coach with the right vision is in place to nurture the growth of a young quarterback. 

So many times we have seen touted players stumble out of the gate because coaching fails to tailor schemes or address weaknesses in a way that fits the player’s strengths. 

Drake Maye’s remarkable steps in 2025 have been proven this season in every department from processing speed to accuracy both downfield and under pressure. But where Maye has really made his case as an MVP candidate is as a dual-threat signal caller. 

He showed upside in his rookie season with 30.4 scrimmage yards per game. Maye dropped to 26.2 in four more games played this year and that was simply because of a patchwork offensive line and a banged-up receiving corps last season. With an overhauled offensive line and the addition of Stefon Diggs to spread targets to someone else other than Hunter Henry, Maye wasn’t as desperate to keep plays alive. 

Chargers vs. Patriots odds, prediction

Maye enters his NFL playoff debut on Sunday against a Chargers defense that presents a pressure-heavy pass rush led by Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu. The Chargers finished tied with the 10th-most sacks and a pressure rate of 23.6 percent.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter thrives on disguising coverages and applying pressure from multiple angles to make quarterbacks uncomfortable. Los Angeles limited quarterbacks to the fourth-fewest yards, but allowed them to achieve field position more generously on the ground, allowing 18.5 yards and four total rushing scores. 

With the Pats relying on quick rhythm strikes and runs between tackles, this opens a lot of opportunity for Maye to pick up some extra downs with his legs — especially against a top-five defense in third-down conversions. 

He is empirically more than capable of gaining chunks of yardage on a routine scramble; he picked up at least 10 yards in a scramble in 10 games. 

Betting on the NFL?

Maye’s rushing yardage line is set at 24.5 on Sunday — a number he’s leaped eight times. In the games he did top this line, it was in crucial wins against tougher AFC opponents such as the Bills, Ravens and Steelers.

He’s hit his rushing prop in four straight games, so I’m looking to this mojo in a game where I can’t see a regressing Diggs and a corps of complementary pieces solely cracking the Chargers’ code. 

THE PLAY: Drake Maye Over 24.5 Rushing Yards (-114, FanDuel)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.