San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals Odds

Things looked a lot different for the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals at this time last year, especially the Bengals, who are 3-11 after winning the AFC North in 2009.

The Chargers are still in the running for a fifth straight AFC West title, but they don’t control their own destiny. They’ll need to win out and get some help from a Kansas City loss.

The chances of San Diego doing its part are pretty good considering its next two opponents are a combined 6-22. The Chiefs play their final two games at home, where they are 6-0, against Tennessee and Oakland – teams with a combined 13-15 record.

NFL odds makers have listed the Chargers as a 7.5-point favorite with the total set at 44.

“We’ve got to win. That’s the only thing we can control and that’s the only one we really have to worry about,” quarterback Phillip Rivers said.

If history is any indication, the Chargers will win out. After all, Rivers has led San Diego to a 10-0 record in December road games. He’s thrown 19 touchdown strikes with just five interceptions in those contests.

Because the Chargers will likely be without star tight end Antonio Gates, who is dealing with an injured foot, for the rest of the regular season, they’ll need Vincent Jackson to step up.

Jackson certainly came up big last week, hauling in five passes for 112 yards with three touchdowns in a 34-7 win against San Francisco. He has missed the majority of the season due to an ugly contract dispute, but the Chargers know exactly what he means to this team. Jackson led the team with 1,167 yards and nine receiving scores last season.

Rivers and the offense catch most of the headlines, but the defense has actually been the more impressive unit this season. San Diego leads the NFL in total defense, giving up only 259.7 yards per game. It ranks first against the pass (170.3 yards per game) and second against the run (89.4 ypg).

Since Norv Turner took over, San Diego is 12-4 against the spread in December games, winning them by an average score of 31.1 to 15.6.

The Bengals were able to bring a 10-game losing streak to an end with a 19-17 win over Cleveland last Sunday. With star wideout Terrell Owens going down with a knee injury, the Bengals were forced to run the football and it did them some good.

Cedric Benson, who performed so well in last year’s playoff campaign, rushed for a season-high 150 yards and a score in the win. The Bengals will likely have to count on Benson even more this week as wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is nursing a left ankle injury.

Ochocinco, who missed Wednesday’s practice, is currently listed as questionable. Even if he is able to go, an injury which is expected to require offseason surgery will keep him to a reduced role. He is second on the team behind Owens with 831 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

It is worth noting that the Chargers are 0-4 against the spread in their last four games as a road favorite of 3.5 to 10.0 points.