Chargers vs. Cardinals prediction: Odds, expert picks, QB matchup, injury update, betting trends, and stats

Looking to build momentum after last week’s impressive win over the Broncos, the Chargers (3-2) travel to Glendale, Arizona Monday night for a game against the struggling Cardinals (2-4).

Coach Harbaugh’s mantra of “play great defense and pound the rock” is taking hold in SoCal. The defense is yielding an NFL low 13.2 points per game. The offense is led by J.K. Dobbins who is averaging 5.4 yards per carry this season. The team as a whole ranks 10^th in the NFL in rushing and with tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt both expected to play Sunday, the Chargers expect to control the line of scrimmage and hope to rip off another 20-play, 10-minute drives as they did last weekend against the Broncos.

Arizona’s defense was expected to be somewhat porous this season…and they have been ranking 29^th in the NFL stopping the run. To combat the weakness, the Cardinals need QB Kyler Murray to move the ball with his arms and with his legs. He has been erratic and inconsistent this season, but he did lead Arizona to a win over San Francisco. He’ll need to be that good again Monday.

Lets dive into the matchup and find one or two sweats.

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Game Details and How to watch Chargers @ Cardinals

• Date: Monday, October 21, 2024
• Time: 9 PM EST
• Site: State Farm Stadium
• City: Glendale, AZ
• TV/Streaming: ESPN+

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Game odds for Chargers @ Cardinals

The latest odds as of Saturday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Los Angeles Chargers (-122), Arizona Cardinals (+102)
• Spread: Chargers -1.5
• Total: 44

The Chargers opened favored by 2.5 so there is money coming in on the Cardinals. The Total is currently where it opened at 44.

NBC Sports Bet Best Bets

NBC Sports Betting Analyst Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) likes a play on the Total in this game:
“No disagreement with the Chargers being favored here, but I do think that the market is missing why they should be the favorites. I think that the Chargers’ offense is underrated right now, going up against a very weak Cardinals’ unit in general. And I think that the defense for the Chargers is overrated. So, my fair price on this Total would be 46. Give me the OVER 43.5. It is actually the biggest Total play for me of the week.”

Chargers @ Cardinals Betting Trends and Statistics

• The Chargers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a road favorite.
• The Cardinals have lost seven of their last ten games.
• The UNDER is 4-1 in the Chargers’ last five games.
• Kyler Murray has thrown 1 or fewer TDs in 11 of his last 14 games.
• Rookie WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. (concussion) is expected to play Monday. He leads the Cards with 279 receiving yards and 4 TDs.
• The Chargers have won 5 of the last 6 meetings in this series.

Quarterback matchup for Chargers @ Cardinals

• Los Angeles: Justin Herbert – last Sunday the veteran threw for 237 yards in the win over Denver. It was the 1^st time in 5 games he threw for over 180 yards.
• Arizona: Kyler Murray – in last week’s loss @ Green Bay, Murray threw for just 214 yards and ran for only 14.

Chargers and Cardinals injury updates

· LA WR Ladd McConkey (hip) is questionable for Monday’s game.
· LA CB Deane Leonard (hamstring) has been ruled OUT for Monday’s game.
· LA TE Hayden Hurst (groin) is doubtful for Monday’s game.
· LA LB Joey Bosa (hip) is doubtful for Monday’s game.
· Arizona LB Owen Pappoe (undisclosed) has been ruled OUT of Monday’s game.
· Arizona RB Trey Benson (illness) is questionable for Monday’s game.
· Arizona MLB Kyzir White (knee) was a limited participant in Saturday’s practice and is questionable for Monday’s game.

Expert picks & predictions for Chargers @ Cardinals

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NFL calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, betting trends, and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday’s game between Los Angeles and Arizona:

· Moneyline: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Chargers on the Moneyline
· Spread: NBC Sports is staying away from a play on the spread
· Total: NBC Sports is leaning towards a play on the Total UNDER 44

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