Cardinals Chargers Betting – Chargers Avoid Mistakes, Clip Cardinals
San Diego’s online betting odds to win the AFC West were pretty good, but the Chargers have gotten off to a poor start and are behind the eight-ball because of mistakes they’ve made in the first three weeks of the season. Look for them to take their frustrations out on Arizona when the Cardinals head to Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Sunday, October 3rd, 4:15 PM ET
- Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
- Pick: San Diego Chargers -8
What’s On The Line
The Arizona Cardinals (2-1) were incredibly fortunate to beat the Oakland Raiders 24-23 at home last week, as they needed three missed field goals by the Raiders to come away with a victory they didn’t deserve. The Chargers (1-2) fell 27-20 to the Seattle Seahawks in a game they should have won, if not for penalties and turnovers. San Diego is two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West and desperately need a win to keep pace in the division, while the Cardinals should just be looking to improve because they could easily be 0-3.
Offensive Matchups: Cardinals Chargers Betting
Arizona is only 25th in the league offensively, but at least Derek Anderson didn’t turn the ball over a lot against the Raiders, throwing one pick along with 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns. “Beanie” Wells is in the lineup now, and he had 75 yards in his return, which should take some pressure off the passing game. The Cardinals also need someone to step up, because Larry Fitzgerald is earning double teams all over the place, while Steve Breaston and Early Doucet are both hurt.
The Chargers are first in the league in this category, and Philip Rivers threw for a career-high 455 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks. But he also tossed a couple of picks, he was sacked four times (and hit countless others), and the Chargers had five turnovers and a number of penalties. San Diego should have rookie running back Ryan Mathews back, but he’s been slow to get going. If the Chargers can cut out the mistakes, they’ll have one of the best units in the league, even without Vincent Jackson.
Betting Edge: Chargers
Defensive Matchups: Cardinals Chargers Betting
The Cardinals are 26th in the league, and they’re especially brutal against the run, coming in 31st. The Chargers are a passing team, so Arizona will try to pick up where they left off last week with their pass rush, when they had three sacks and got good pressure on Oakland quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. Given how the San Diego offensive line played last week, this could be the matchup that decides this NFL betting matchup.
San Diego comes in fourth in the league defensively, and they pretty much shut down the Seattle offense; in fact, the Seahawks scored a pair of touchdowns on kickoff returns, which pretty much ruined the game for the Chargers. The linebackers are ailing as Shawne Merriman will be limited, while Larry English is out. Quentin Jammer on Fitzgerald will be a matchup for NFL betting players to watch.
Betting Edge: Chargers
Notable Injuries: Cardinals Chargers Betting
Breaston (knee) is out for at least a couple weeks after surgery, while Doucet (groin) is questionable for the Cardinals.
English (foot) and guard Louis Vasquez (knee) are definitely out, while Merriman (calf) will be limited in this game, along with safety Darrell Stuckey.
Betting Edge: Draw
Outlook and Pick: Cardinals Chargers Betting
NFL betting odds have the Chargers as an 8-point favorite at home, and they’ve won two of three meetings with the Cardinals in San Diego since 1995, the last of which was a 27-20 win in 2006. The Chargers should win this game going away as the Cardinals don’t have the defense to control their explosive offense. Their only chance is to get to Rivers, and even then, he has proven that he’ll stand in and take the hit. The San Diego special teams have a lot to prove after last week’s fiasco as well. We’re going with a beatdown by the angry Chargers in your sports betting book.
Stan’s Pick: San Diego Chargers
