Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals: NFL Predictions, Odds & Best Bets

Isn’t it crazy? The NFL is, once again, blessing us viewers with a a Monday Night Football Doubleheader, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Baltimore Ravens, and the Arizona Cardinals host the Los Angeles Chargers. A couple of battles on both sides of the country take place this evening, but in this piece, we will focus on the matchup in the desert and dig into the Cardinals vs the Chargers.

Both teams simply aren’t performing well so far this season. The visiting Chargers showed signs of life with two straight wins to start the season, however those wins were against the Raiders at home and the Panthers in Carolina. Not the greatest of victories. Then they went on to lose two straight games before their bye week, putting up 10 points each against the Steelers and Chiefs. I’ll give them those losses. In Pittsburgh, it’s tough to play against that defense, and they did put up a fight against Kansas City. After the bye, the Chargers came out and handled the Denver Broncos on the road, improving to 3-2 on the season. While this is about where I would’ve expected Los Angeles to be at this point in the season, they do have a difficult matchup with Arizona tonight.

The Cardinals put up 69 points in their first two weeks of the season, covering against the Bills and beating NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams. But from then on, it’s been a little rough. They lost to Detroit and Washington at home, both very good offenses. They shutout the Lions in the second half but couldn’t muster up any offense, and had the same problem against the Commanders. The Cardinals then went into San Francisco and shocked the world, catching the Niners looking ahead and beating them in comeback fashion. But then they went to Green Bay and were stomped by the Packers.

Can Arizona defend their home turf tonight against LA? Or will the Chargers steal a win from the Cardinals in the desert?

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Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals: Showdown in the Desert

Matchup Information – Chargers vs Cardinals

• Venue & Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
• Date: Monday, October 21st, 2024
• Kick Off: 9:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN+

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Chargers -1 (-110)
• Cardinals +1 (-110)

Money Line

• Chargers -119
• Cardinals -101

Total

• Over 44.5 (-105)
• Under 44.5 (-115)

Will Kyler Lead Cardinals to Victory at Home?

This is a bit of a crapshoot to be honest. You’ve got a Chargers offense that hasn’t been producing much this year. They score just 18 points per game this season, and the Cardinals are only scoring 22, both in the bottom half of the league. That number drops to just 16 in the past four weeks for Arizona, as the offense does not seem to be firing. And tonight they face the number 1 scoring defense in the NFL.

Yes, the Los Angeles Chargers lead the league allowing just 13.2 points per contest, but aside from the Chiefs, look at the offenses they’ve faced.

Chargers Offensive Opponents Scoring Ranks Excluding KC

• Raiders: 26th (17.7)
• Panthers: 28th (15.7)
• Steelers: 16th (23)
• Broncos: 21st (20.7)

I’m not trying to hype up the Cardinals offense, rather making the point that the Chargers’ defensive numbers are probably a bit inflated based off of their opponents. Arizona ranks 29th in the NFL in Scoring Defense, giving up over 27 points per game, but they are much more battle tested. Their numbers could also be a bit skewed based on the matchups they’ve faced. Let’s look at the offenses the Cardinals have had to defend.

Cardinals Offensive Opponents Scoring Ranks

• Bills: 5th (28.4)
• Rams: 23rd (19)
• Lions: 2nd (30.3)
• Commanders: 1st (31.1)
• 49ers: 8th (25.7)
• Packers: 7th (26.6)

Aside from the Rams, the Cardinals have played essentially a Top 10 offense in every single contest. I’m not here to tell you they have a fantastic defense, but there are some dogs on the roster, and they are certainly up to the task of taking down a Chargers offense lacking talent. I’ve got to lean with the more battle tested team at home tonight, especially for the plus money.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals Best Bets

Chargers vs Cardinals Prediction: Cardinals Win, Over 44.5

Best Bet: Cardinals ML (+105) Bovada

It’s super stinky, I feel gross pressing the button, but we are backing the Cardinals for some plus money tonight. This is pretty much just a “the Cardinals are more battle tested play”.

Looking at Arizona’s opponents against the cupcake schedule that the Chargers have played, I really think this Cardinals team may be a but underrated. Sure, the Chargers played a great game against the Chiefs, but the offense really hasn’t produced that “wow factor” quite yet. It’s worth noting that Joey Bosa is still doubtful, and the Chargers have a very beat up WR room at the moment. I’l plug my nose and back the Desert Birds to find a way to win this disgusting game in Glendale.

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