Monday Night Football Preview & Prediction: Chargers at Cardinals
Week 7 Monday Night Football is here and we're getting two contests again. With two games, there are plenty of great matchups and opportunities for bettors to find real value. The later contest features the Los Angeles Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams have sputtered recently going 1-2 in their last three games. Something has to be given here on Monday night. Let's take a deeper look at the matchup.
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Los Angeles Chargers at Arizona Cardinals
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
The biggest storyline coming into this game is the depth of the Chargers' pass catchers. The injury bug has left many receivers questionable or doubtful for this game. With many of Justin Herbert's teammates' statuses up in the air, it's likely the Chargers will need to rely heavily on the running game. If you're not familiar with Jim Harbaugh or his playing style, this is exactly how he likes to operate. The Chargers actually rank in the bottom half of the league in passing DVOA, a far cry from the Brandon Staley heyday with Herbert. But this style has been effective enough for the Chargers to start the season 3-2.
The Cardinals' defense has struggled this year, but against a team that may have to rely on the running game, Arizona could surprise. Although the Cardinals rank as one of the worst pass defenses in the league, they are about league-average against the run. This should be enough to slow down a one-dimensional Los Angeles offense.
On the other side of the ball, this could be a tough matchup for Kyler Murray and company. The Chargers are one of the best defenses and lead the league in scoring defense. Arizona already has a handful of games where their offense has been bottled up. With the kind of pressure Los Angeles can put on Kyler Murray, he could be running for his life all game. It may be tough for him and the offense to get anything going and end up turning this into a low-scoring Monday night affair.
Pick: Total u44.5 (-118)