Begin your Saturday with great NFL Week 17 action when the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots meet at 1:00 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.
Saturday’s clash has one of the lowest totals on the Week 17 slate, but my Chargers vs. Patriots anytime touchdown picks have found two players that could find paydirt.
Read on for my NFL picks for Saturday, December 28.
Chargers anytime touchdown pick
Quentin Johnston anytime touchdown
+220 at BetMGM
Los Angeles Chargers wideout Quentin Johnston has touchdown grabs in two of his last three games, and I like his chances of grabbing at least one TD reception on Saturday.
Johnston has had a fine season for the injury-riddled Chargers WR room. He’s second on the Chargers in targets (69) and third in receptions while snagging a team-high eight scoring strikes.
Johnston is also a valuable Red Zone target of Justin Herbert's. Johnston leads the Chargers in targets (8), with five receptions and a team-high four touchdowns within 20 yards of the end zone.
This isn’t the Patriots' defense of old-they’ve surrendered the third-most TD receptions within 20 yards of the end zone. With all eyes on Ladd McConkey, Johnston has snagged a TD reception in two of his previous three with a good chance at a reasonable price to find the end zone Saturday.
Patriots anytime touchdown pick
Hunter Henry anytime touchdown
+250 at BetMGM
The New England Patriots offense has progressed with rookie quarterback Drake Maye under center.
The Pats have scored at least 21+ points in three of their last five games, but they face a tough one against a Chargers defense that bends but allows a stingy 18 points per game.
The Chargers allow 337 total yards per game. Maye and the Pats can move the chains on the ground and in the air. If they can get within 20 yards of the end zone, I like Hunter Henry’s chances of finding the end zone.
Henry leads the Patriots in targets (95) and receptions (66). The New England TE has scored only twice this season, but he leads the team with 19 targets and 10 receptions as the field gets shorter.
I like Henry to score a TD against a Chargers defense, surrendering 12 red zone touchdown receptions. Henry was targeted four times during Week 16, and I expect that if Maye and the Patriots get close, Henry will snag a TD reception.
Not intended for use in MA.
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