Week 7 of the NFL regular season concludes with an interesting matchup between the Chargers and Cardinals on Monday Night Football. Will the Chargers keep rolling after a nice division win over the Broncos? Or, will the Cardinals bounce back after being blown out by the Packers?
Dive into our betting preview below for all the vital info! We've got the live odds, some fearless predictions, and a best bet for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the action and best of luck with all of your Week 7 wagers!
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There's been a ton of movement in this game! The sportsbooks opened this line at a pick 'em on the look-ahead, but a flurry of Chargers money has pushed it to LAC -2.5. A couple of shops are even dealing LAC -3.
Contrary to the point spread, there hasn't been much action on the game total. It opened at 43.5 at that's where it still sits at most online sportsbooks. A couple of spots are showing 44 if you shop around shrewdly.
Jim Harbaugh loves to pound the rock, and he's stuck to his guns on that philosophy regardless of which team he's coached. The Chargers run the ball on 52.4% of their offensive snaps, which is 3rd in the NFL. They should be able to have some success against an Arizona squad that surrenders 153 yards per game on the ground.
JK Dobbins has been the Chargers' best rushing threat, as he's already run for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns so far this season. He's helped take a lot of pressure off Justin Herbert, who finally looks to be fully healed. Surprisingly, Herbert's favorite target has been rookie WR Ladd McConkey, who has hauled in 19 catches and a couple of scores.
It may shock you to learn that the Chargers defense leads the league in points per game allowed (13.2). That's a heck of an improvement over last year's squad. Elijah Molden leads the team with 2 interceptions, and he'll be looking to add to that number against Kyler Murray.
Arizona was embarrassed in a big way last week against Green Bay. Murray and the offense looked discombobulated the entire afternoon and things only got worse once rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. left the game with a concussion. The Cards will be happy to be back home after 2 straight roadies.
Murray may have had a subpar game last week, but his yearly numbers are fantastic. The former Oklahoma star has thrown for 1,186 yards and 8 TDs in 2024. He should be able to find some soft spots in the LAC defense now that TE Trey McBride is back in the lineup.
Arizona's defense has been their Achilles heel all season long. The Cards rank 22nd against the run and just 31st against the pass. They could also be without CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is dealing with a neck injury.
Faithful readers of the column know that I love to buy low on teams after terrible performances. That's exactly the kind of spot Arizona is in after the 34-13 drubbing they suffered against Green Bay in Week 6.
That said, the Packers are one heck of a team and Lambeau Field is a tough place to play. We also have to look at who each team has played. The Cards' strength of schedule ranks 2nd, while the Chargers' SOS rank is just 28th. That's a pretty big discrepancy, and Arizona proved that it could hang with the big boys by beating San Fran a few weeks ago.
Los Angeles looked great coming out of their bye, but there was a reason this line was at a pick'em just a few days ago. Look for Arizona's offense to do enough to keep them in this one. Give me the live dog!
Prediction: Cardinals 24 - Chargers 21