The Los Angeles Chargers will try to win their third game in a row when they take on the Dallas Cowboys in a key matchup on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys (3-2), who have dropped two of their last three games, are coming off a 42-10 thumping at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. The Chargers (2-2), who had their bye this past week, have won two close games in a row, including a 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last time out The Chargers enter MNF as underdogs, but are 5-1 against the spread as underdogs since the start of last season.
Kickoff from SoFi Stadium is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Dallas is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Chargers vs. Cowboys odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 50.5. Before you make any Cowboys vs. Chargers picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine NFL expert Larry Hartstein has to say considering his mastery of picks involving the Cowboys.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. Hartstein tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. Those selections formed the basis of his SportsLine NFL best bets article, which finished 36-25-1.
In addition, Hartstein has gone 17-5 on his last 22 NFL picks involving the Cowboys, returning $1,135. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hartstein has zoned in on Cowboys vs. Chargers and just locked in his picks and NFL predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the NFL odds and betting lines for Chargers vs. Cowboys:
- Chargers vs. Cowboys spread: Dallas -1.5
- Chargers vs. Cowboys over/under: 50.5 points
- Chargers vs. Cowboys money line: Dallas -125, Los Angeles +104
- DAL: Cowboys are 1-2 against the spread on the road
- LAC: Chargers are 1-2-1 ATS this season
- Chargers vs. Cowboys picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Chargers vs. Cowboys live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why the Cowboys can cover
Quarterback Dak Prescott has played well against the Chargers and on Monday Night Football in the past. In two career games against Los Angeles, he has completed 43 of 54 passes (79.6%) while going 4-1 with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions for a 124.3 rating in five career Monday Night Football starts. He has thrown two or more TD passes and had a 95 or better rating in each of the five Monday starts. Prescott has thrown for 1,061 yards and five touchdowns in five games this season.
The Cowboys as a team have played well in primetime games and since 2021 are 10-3 against the spread in those matchups. They are also 7-2 against the spread in road primetime games during that same stretch. Running back Tony Pollard will be looked to in an effort to continue that success. In five games, he has 81 carries for 340 yards (4.2 average) and two touchdowns. He also has 19 catches in the passing game for 96 yards (5.1 average). See which team to pick here.
Why the Chargers can cover
Quarterback Justin Herbert is off to a strong start to the season and has zero interceptions and a 95 or better rating in three of Los Angeles' four games. In the Week 4 win over the Raiders, he rushed for a career-high two touchdowns, but suffered a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand. He also has had success against the Cowboys, completing 31 of 41 attempts (75.6%) for 338 yards in the last meeting at Inglewood in 2021, a 20-17 Cowboys victory. In four career starts on Monday Night Football, Herbert is 3-1 with seven touchdowns and two interceptions for a 91.6 rating.
Expected back is running back Austin Ekeler, who rushed for 117 yards and a score with 47 receiving yards in Week 1. In his last meeting against Dallas, Ekeler had 115 yards from scrimmage, including 61 receiving and 54 rushing, and nine receptions. He will look for his fourth Monday Night Football game in a row with 75 or more yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He has four rushing touchdowns in his past three games in primetime. He has 393 catches in 90 career games and can become the fourth-fastest running back to ever reach 400 catches. See which team to pick here.
How to make Chargers vs. Cowboys picks
For Monday night's matchup, Hartstein is leaning over on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is, and which side of the spread to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Cowboys vs. Chargers on Monday Night Football, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cowboys vs. Chargers spread you need to jump on, all from the expert who's a commanding 17-5 on picks involving Dallas, and find out.
