The Chargers take on the Cardinals in a cross-conference Monday Night Football matchup. Here is how to bet on the game at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Chargers (-2) at Cardinals o/u 44
Chargers Team Breakdown
The Chargers last picked up a pivotal divisional win over the Broncos in Week 5 before heading into their bye week last week. It has been a good start to the Jim Harbaugh era in Los Angeles as they look to adapt to his brand of football. Harbaugh wants to play tough defense, run the ball and have Justin Herbert make the necessary winning throws in close games. So far, their defense is third in the NFL in EPA/play so one aspect is going according to plan, but the offense has struggled.
The Chargers’ offense ranks 22nd in EPA/play, and they are also 22nd in EPA/rush. The run-heavy approach has not allowed their offense to thrive, so during the bye week, that was likely an emphasis at practice. Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh may have come up with some new looks to try and pick up the offense a bit to match the great production they have gotten out of the defense.
Cardinals Team Breakdown
It has been a really disappointing season for the Cardinals. A lot of people had high expectations for the team with a healthy Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr. and a head coach who has had some time to develop a culture. However, the Cardinals sit at 2-4 and have been blown out by the Packers and Commanders in two of their past three games. If the Cardinals want to make a run at a playoff spot this season, they need to pick up a win here.
The Cardinals’ offense has been decent this season, but the defense has been really porous. The defense ranks 28th in the league in EPA/play and they have been shredded by opposing quarterbacks. They rank 29th in EPA/dropback and dead last in dropback success rate on defense.
Pick and Prediction
The Chargers’ coaching staff will have been looking at their below-average offensive performances so far this season, and at how vulnerable the Cardinals are to the pass. Hopefully, they’ve come up with a good game plan for this one. Greg Roman will always want to run the ball, but they should use the run to set up play-action opportunities for Justin Herbert. Kyler Murray could also have some success throwing the football as well, which will only push the Chargers to have to throw more themselves to keep up.
Herbert’s passing prop for this game at DraftKings Sportsbook is 198.5 yards. All six quarterbacks that have faced the Cardinals this season have cleared that number, averaging 230.3 passing yards per game. Justin Herbert has also been really good in his career on Monday Night Football, clearing that prop number in five out of six games with an average of 220.3 passing yards per game. Herbert should attack this bad Cardinals secondary and go over his passing yards prop on Monday night.
Best Bet: Justin Herbert o198.5 Passing Yards (-115)
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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