The Chargers' Week 1 loss to the Cardinals was a major, unexpected upset to start the season.
Many expected the Chargers to look like a juggernaut and get their Super Bowl run off to a hot start against a Cardinals team widely expected to hold a top-five pick at season's end. Instead, Arizona looked like the playoff team, while the Bolts looked lost and soft.
Entering Week 1, the Chargers had a 57% chance to make the playoffs; however, those odds plummeted after the loss.
According to The Athletic, the Chargers' playoff odds went from 57% to 42%.
"According to The Athletic, the Chargers playoff odds dropped from 57 percent to 42 percent after Sunday's results around the league," Eric Smith of Chargers.com wrote.
According to BetMGM, the Chargers
have +100 playoff odds and +375 odds to win the AFC West.
A 0-1 start is far from ideal; however, it's not the end of the world. The way the Chargers looked certainly doesn't inspire hope of a deep playoff run, but we still have plenty of football to play from now until early January.
The Chargers kicked off their 2026 season sluggishly, getting outplayed in all three phases. However, the Chargers have a chance to bounce back in a big way when they host the Raiders in Week 2.
Heading into Week 2, the Chargers still have the second-best odds to win the AFC West at +190, according to DraftKings.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers' playoff odds take major hit after Week 1 loss
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