2000 · Week 2

Final

Saints

New Orleans

QB Jeff Blake

28·27

Chargers

San Diego

QB Ryan Leaf

Qualcomm Stadium · outdoors · grass · 76°F · wind 8mph

Closing spread

SD -5.5

Total

35.5

Model margin

+1.7est.

SD perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Chargers
  • Saints

How each play moved the game.

Chargers winsSaints wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

The rivalry

NO lead 5–2 since 1999

Meetings average 57 points. SD are 3-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W8NO @ LAC826CHARGERS
2020 · W5LAC @ NO2730NO
2016 · W4NO @ SD3534NO
2012 · W5SD @ NO2431NO
2008 · W8SD @ NO3237NO
2004 · W9NO @ SD1743CHARGERS

Box score

Individual performances

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jeff Blake33/4625932

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Ricky Williams24502.10
Jeff Blake6132.20
Chad Morton111.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Joe Horn12151162
Jake Reed59510
Ricky Williams45271
Andrew Glover47230
Willie Jackson23170
Chad Morton34110

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +5.54.1%2.8%7.1%7.5%3.1%4.6%2.9%

Positive margins favour Chargers; negative favour Saints.

Half-point at risk

3.05%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

53.6%

Expected total

45.4est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-0.87
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+1.70

One or both ratings are carry-over priors — no games have been played this season yet, so treat this as a starting assumption rather than a read.