The Jim Harbaugh bump hasn’t vaulted the Los Angeles Chargers to the top of the Super Bowl odds, yet, according to BetMGM. They kick off the official offseason at +2500 (Bet $10 get $250), which is tied for the 11th-highest odds. This position puts them 6th with the sixth-best odds of winning the big game. They are behind the Kansas City Chiefs +750, Baltimore Ravens +850, Buffalo Bills +1200, Cincinnati Bengals +1400, Miami Dolphins +2000
They are currently tied with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans.
Ironically enough, these are the same odds the Los Angeles Charges were given by sportsbooks heading into last season.
The general sentiment among fans and media is that Jim Harbaugh will be able to turn the Chargers around in a similar fashion as he did with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2010, the 49ers finished with a 6-10 record. After hiring Jim Harbaugh in January of 2011, they went 13-3. Heading into 2011, Vegas set the 49ers Super Bowl odds at +5000 (Bet $10, Get $500). Their preseason over under was set at 7.5 wins. They far exceeded that.
What that means is that the expectation of Harbaugh is even higher than it was 13 years ago. Almost twice as high. The implied probability of a +2500 team winning the Super Bowl is 3.8 percent. A +5000 team is 2 percent. It seems like it should be exactly double, but probability is a funny thing.
Harbaugh Bump Puts The Los Angeles Chargers Among 2024 Playoff Hopefuls
Looking at the teams around them, all were in or within shouting distance of the playoffs last season. But most are riding high off of unexpectedly good seasons. So as far as Vegas is concerned the Los Angeles Chargers will be better and are a playoff team, but won’t be elite in year one. This may leave Chargers fans clamoring for ticket stubs for this bet.
