Chargers' near upset of Bills continued an impressive betting trend for NFL interim coaches
The Los Angeles Chargers were unable to hold on for an upset win over the Buffalo Bills Saturday night, but by keeping the game so close, they easily covered what ended up being a 13-point spread at kickoff.
The game was expected to be a blowout. Instead, in the Chargers’ first game under interim coach Giff Smith, it took a field goal in the final 30 seconds for Buffalo to prevail by a score of 24-22. With the cover, Smith helped interim coaches remain undefeated against the spread this season, improving to 3-0.
The interim coach bump is bumping in 2023.
The first interim coach to get a crack at it was Antonio Pierce, who led the Las Vegas Raiders to a 24-point win over the New York Giants as a 1.5-point favorite in Week 9. Then, Carolina Panthers interim coach Chris Tabor covered as a 3.5-point dog in his first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13.
The Chargers faced a much larger spread than either, going against a legitimate playoff team the week after giving up 63 points. So it would’ve been completely understandable if Smith were unable to keep the trend going. Not only did he do it, he nearly won outright.
Keep this in mind when the next coach gets axed.