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Chargers vs. Cardinals MNF preview and best bets for Week 7
The Cardinals host the Chargers, who are slight road favorites
| WHO | Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals |
| WHEN | Monday, October 21, 2024 at 9 p.m. EST |
| WHERE | State Farm Stadium | Glendale, Arizona |
| HOW | ESPN+ |
The Chargers avoided a three-game losing streak by winning 23-16 in Denver last week. With that, Los Angeles improved to 3-2 and finds itself in the AFC playoff picture. Jim Harbaugh’s team suffered a pair of defeats at Pittsburgh and home against Kansas City as its offense failed to produce significant gains. Quarterback Justin Herbert’s ankle injury was a major reason for it, but he looked closer to 100%against the Broncos even as many of his key targets went down. The defense has been rounding into shape as well, entering Week 7 as the fourth-best against the rush and third-stingiest versus the pass.
As for the Cardinals, currently at 2-4, their season has gone in various directions. They stayed close to the Bills in Week 1 and Lions in Week 3 before suffering respectable losses. They’ve also had two impressive victories against division foes: 489 yards of total offense in a 41-10 throttling of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 and a comeback 24-23 road win over the San Francisco 49ers in early October in which Kyler Murray combined for 278 yards (rushing and passing).
A major factor is the return of rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The wideout left the Week 6 contest in Green Bay with a concussion but has cleared protocol and is a go for Monday night.
Here are the most recent odds that you can find at some of the top online sportsbooks.
| Market | FanDuel | DraftKings | BetMGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers spread | -1.5 (-105) | -1 (-112) | -1.5 (-110) |
| Cardinals spread | +1.5 (-115) | +1 (-108) | +1.5 (-110) |
| Chargers moneyline | -116 | -118 | -120 |
| Cardinals moneyline | -102 | -102 | +100 |
| Over | Over 44.5 (-104) | Over 44 (-110) | Over 44 (-110) |
| Under | Under 44.5 (-118) | Under 44 (-110) | Under 44 (-110) |
Why to bet on the Chargers
This team is beginning to fit the preferred style of head coach Jim Harbaugh: control the ball and limit the opposition’s number of possessions.
The defense, under coordinator Jesse Minter, has been quite impressive. It’s a lineup that features several free-agent additions. And without its starting cornerbacks against Denver, this group held the Broncos in check over the first half while the offense built a lead.
All this happened minus defensive end Joey Bosa, who will also miss the game against the Cardinals. Entering Week 7, the Chargers defense was the third-best unit at stopping the run, having allowed 486 yards and an NFL-low two touchdowns through five games. In playing the pass, Los Angeles has been just as effective. The 1,047 yards against through the air is the league’s second-fewest (entering this week’s action).
The improved health of Herbert coincides well with who he’s facing. Arizona allows more than 220 passing yards and 27 points per game, while forcing three punts over their last three outings. The Cards rarely put pressure on opposing offenses and have just 11 sacks on the season. They are also vulnerable on the ground, yielding 4.7 yards per attempt, which bodes well for J.K. Dobbins. The former Raven has dashed for 96 or more yards in three of the five games in 2024 and his over/under rushing total for Monday at FanDuel Sportsbook is 76.5.
Why to bet on the Cardinals
The Cardinals have shown the capability of playing well against quality opponents. If Arizona plays like it did against Buffalo, Los Angeles, Detroit and San Francisco, it can beat the Chargers at home.
Having Harrison on the field and healthy goes a long way toward doing that. He’s currently +2500 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at Caesars Sportsbook, a number that can improve if he has days like he did back in Week 2 against the Rams. In that breakout performance, he went for 130 yards on just four catches and scored two touchdowns. He found the end zone in each of the next two weeks. Harrison has already displayed the talents that made him a high draft pick and another tremendous outing could be destructive for Los Angeles.
As for the man who throws him the ball, Murray has shown flashes of elite play as well. In beating the 49ers, was dynamic in multiple phases. His 50-yard run through the teeth of the San Francisco defense got the Cards going in the first quarter. His 195 yards passing included a pair of key scoring drives in the fourth quarter that each went more than 70 yards and allowed Arizona to rally from 10 points down.
A quarterback who has good movement in the pocket and the ability to extend plays by moving outside can be an issue for the Chargers. It was during the second half of L.A.’s matchup with Denver when Bo Nix found his rhythm to compile 277 yards. And in Week 4, Patrick Mahomes made plays when it counted and the Chargers couldn’t stop it. Without Bosa, that will be even harder against Arizona.
Best bet for Chargers vs. Cardinals: Chargers -1.5 (-105, FanDuel)
What opened as Cardinals -1 has shifted to as high as Chargers -2 before settling to Los Angeles being a slight road favorite. The current line does not have a significant leaning in either direction from the public, either.
In Harbaugh’s NFL coaching career, his teams are 17-3 straight-up as road favorites of seven points or fewer. He’s also 16-9 in games with lines ranging from +3 to -3. In addition to their coach’s history, current data also favors the Chargers to cover.
Los Angeles is third-best in EPA per play allowed this year. Arizona has managed 22.2 points per game, a number that’s a bit skewed since 41 came in a single outing against a weakened Los Angeles Rams.
Conversely, the defense is not particularly impressive, especially at stopping the run game. Going up against a team that is dedicated to establishing the run makes for a bad matchup. The Chargers don’t have any All-Pros in the backfield, but a solid offensive line with rookie Joe Alt plus a healthier Herbert controlling the offense is a major edge. And if they accomplish the goal of establishing the run, it can open up downfield pass attempts, even without wide receiver Quentin Johnston.