Game-by-game predictions for 2024 Chargers schedule

The 2024 Chargers schedule has officially been released and fans are absolutely buzzing. After having one of the hardest schedules in the entire league last season, the Bolts boast one of the easiest schedules that should help kickstart this new era with Jim Harbaugh.

While there is a lot of excitement around what this team can do with a new captain leading the ship, there are still roster inconsistencies that will keep the Bolts from being a true Super Bowl contender. This is a multi-year process with Harbaugh and the 2024 season is just the first step.

That being said, the Chargers still may be able to win enough games to make the NFL Playoffs depending on how the rest of the AFC shakes out. But just how many games can Chargers fans expect the team to win in 2024?

Predicting every game on the 2024 Chargers schedule:

Week 1 vs Las Vegas Raiders

Tom Telesco will have two trips back to SoFi Stadium as the Raiders also play the LA Rams on the road. With no real franchise quarterback, the Raiders will likely lose both of the games they play in Los Angeles, even though they will have a home crowd for both. 

Prediction: 20-13 win

Week 2 at Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were the worst team in the league last season and the team did not get much better in the offseason. Barring an unforeseen jump from Bryce Young, the Panthers will win four or fewer games and one won’t be against the Chargers. 

Prediction: 27-13 win

Week 3 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin is similar to Jim Harbaugh in the fact that he just knows how to win games. And while Russell Wilson has become a meme at this point, he is better than Kenny Pickett and the myriad of other bad quarterbacks who have played for Pittsburgh. This is a closely-contested game between two well-coached teams where the home team gets the edge. 

Prediction: 20-17 loss

Week 4 vs Kansas City Chiefs

Playing the Chiefs at home is easier than playing them on the road but the home-field advantage may not be enough. The Chargers actually haven’t beaten the Chiefs at home since 2013. That streak will continue this year in an inevitably close game. 

Prediction: 27-24 loss

Week 5: BYE

Week 6 at Denver Broncos

Denver is a hard place to win but this year’s Denver team might be the worst in recent memory. Broncos fans are going to naturally believe in Bo Nix but if his tape says anything, it says that he will struggle immensely in his rookie season, even at home. 

Prediction: 21-16 win

Week 7 at Arizona Cardinals

Chargers fans will have to watch the team go up against Marvin Harrison Jr. after a missed Matt Prater field goal in Week 18 last year stopped the Bolts from being able to draft him. These are two teams who should win a few more games than they did last year and in this matchup, Herbert will complete a two-minute drive to win it. 

Prediction: 34-33 win

Week 8 vs New Orleans Saints

An old friend will be back at SoFi Stadium assuming Derek Carr is healthy and still the starting quarterback at this time. If there is one thing Khalil Mack loves it is to sack Carr, and that will fuel a Chargers win over an odd Saints team. 

Prediction: 17-16 win

Week 9 at Cleveland Browns

Odd quarterback situation aside, the Browns had one of the best defenses in the league last season that should carry over into the 2024 season. With limited offensive weapons to defend, the Browns will take a lead early and squeeze the life out of the Chargers. 

Prediction: 22-14 loss

Week 10 vs Tennessee Titans

The Titans have had one of the weirdest offseasons in the league thus far and the team is relying entirely on second-year quarterback Will Levis to make the jump to have a good season. It is hard to predict what the Titans will be like without Mike Vrabel but this still feels like a game the Chargers should win. 

Prediction: 19-14 win

Week 11 vs Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are going to be tied together as long as they are both in the league thanks to the 2020 NFL Draft. While Burrow has had more team success, he is winless against the Chargers in two starts. That may change this year, as the Bengals’ offensive firepower will be too much for the Chargers to handle. 

Prediction: 30-21 loss

Week 12 vs Baltimore Ravens (MNF)

The Harbaugh bowl is going to catch the eye of the entire NFL world as Jim and John Harbaugh face off for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII. Much like that Super Bowl, John Harbaugh will be the one who emerges victoriously as the Ravens simply have too much talent to overcome. 

Prediction: 23-17 loss

Week 13 at Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are going to be better than people realize as long as the team can stay healthy. There is a lot of negative buzz around Atlanta because of the Michael Penix pick but it does not change the fact that the team upgraded significantly at quarterback and head coach — the two most important positions. On the road, Atlanta is going to be tough for the Chargers to beat. 

Prediction: 30-26 loss

Week 14 at Kansas City Chiefs

Jim Harbaugh and Taylor Swift cross paths for the first time at Arrowhead Stadium. There will be a lot of cutaways to Swift in a game where the Chiefs’ new speedy offensive weapons will thrive in front of a raucous home crowd. 

Prediction: 31-21 loss

Week 15 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On paper the Buccaneers are a very beatable team but every year there are outcomes that surprise fans. The Chargers will most likely be favored in this game but it feels like the classic Chargers game where it slips away at the last minute. We always have to assume there will be one until proven otherwise. 

Prediction: 27-24 loss

Week 16 vs Denver Broncos

Last year’s home game against the Broncos was the unofficial end of the 2023 season. Not only did the Chargers lose to fall to 5-8, but the team lost Herbert for the rest of the year to a finger injury. This year, the Bolts get their revenge at home. 

Prediction: 24-10 win

Week 17 at New England Patriots

In several ways, Drake Maye feels like this year’s Justin Herbert. If that is the case then he is going to have a great rookie season, one that is perhaps better than Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. Ironically, though, this will be a game where the Chargers’ rushing attack carries the load and out-performs New England’s shaky run game. 

Prediction: 16-13 win

Week 18 at Las Vegas Raiders

The last time the Chargers played in Las Vegas the team suffered a historic loss that got Tom Telesco fired. Now, the Chargers play Telesco’s new team and will once again shake up his job security with an emotional win that will consist of the best defensive performance of the year.  

Prediction: 24-6 win

2024 Chargers final record prediction: 9-8

Some fans may be hoping for the team to win 10 games but that feels out of the realm of possibility, even with this easier schedule. Nine wins feels like a realistic ceiling for the team as long as the Bolts can stay mostly healthy throughout the year.

Whether or not that will be enough to make the playoffs will depend on the rest of the AFC. There have been two nine-win AFC teams to make the playoffs as a wild card (as this won't win the AFC West) since the league adopted the seven-team playoff in 2020.