Cowboys Chargers Betting – Cowboys Offense Trumps Chargers Defense
Online betting players could be treated to a great game on Saturday when Dallas heads to San Diego in a matchup of two very similar teams. However, the San Diego defense got a break by playing a bad offense in their opener, and they’re going to have trouble against a Dallas offense looking to redeem themselves.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Saturday, August 21st, 9:00 PM ET
- Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
- Pick: Cowboys
What’s On The Line
The Cowboys looked like a team that played on a short week as they were in the Hall of Fame Game against Cincinnati on a Sunday, then had to go home to host Oakland, who scored 17 points in the final 4:58, losing on an interception return. The Chargers scored the final 18 points of the game in a 25-10 win over Chicago in their opener.
Offensive Matchups: Cowboys Chargers Betting
The Cowboys were 0-of-4 in the red zone in this game, and the running game was non-existent, gaining 66 yards on 22 carries. Tony Romo was 4-of-7 for 52 yards, and Matt Nichols may have played his way off the team by going 8-of-14 for 72 yards and two picks, including one that was returned by the Raiders to the house with 33 seconds left. With Romo, Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee, the Cowboys are sorted under center. With a week of rest, we’ll see a much better showing from the Dallas offense. You may even see the first-string team on the field for a bit longer.
Philip Rivers was 4-of-6 for 62 yards and a touchdown as he left the heavy lifting to Billy Volek and Jonathan Crompton, who combined to go 13-of-25 for 158 yards and a pick. Rookie Ryan Matthews had 50 yards on nine carries and showed an ability to hit the hole quickly, much like LaDainian Tomlinson, who the Chargers let go to the Jets. The quarterbacks also spread the ball around as they try to find a new No.1 receiver, as it looks like Vincent Jackson will be holding out for a while.
Betting Edge: Draw
Defensive Matchups: Cowboys Chargers Betting
Dallas’ defense was fine for most of the game before they ran out of gas, allowing the Raiders to march down the field before their interception return for a score. Linebackers Leon and Jason Williams (no relation) had five tackles apiece, and along with injured rookie Sean Lee, the Cowboys are stacked at inside linebacker. However, late in the game, the secondary made Kyle Boller look like a star, and that’s never a good thing.
The Chargers dominated the Chicago defense, although NFL betting players should take it with a grain of salt as the Bears are learning a new offense, and they’re not that good. They held the Bears to 216 yards, including a mere 48 yards on 21 carries, and linebacker Darry Beckwith led the way with seven tackles. But they’re going to have to watch their discipline as they had 10 penalties, giving the Bears three first downs.
Betting Edge: Draw
Notable Injuries: Cowboys Chargers Betting
Alex Barron (ankle) joins fellow offensive linemen Marc Colombo (knee) on the sidelines, while the tight-end trio of Martellus Bennett (ankle), Scott Sicko (concussion) and John Phillips (knee) are out as well. Safety Mike Hamlin (neck/concussion) will also miss this game, which gives Alan Ball a leg up in their competition for that spot.
Running back Darren Sproles (shoulder) should be ready to go this week, along with linebacker Larry English (foot), while linebacker Brandon Siler (ankle) and safety Darrell Stuckey (groin) are questionable. Injuries to Tra Thomas (knee), Nick Richmond (knee) and Scott Mruczkowski (ankle) hurt the depth of an offensive line already missing holdout Marcus McNeill.
Betting Edge: Chargers
Outlook and Pick: Cowboys Chargers Betting
The Chargers are 2.5-point favorites at home according to NFL betting odds, but we’re taking the Cowboys on the road in this contest. They’ll want to put on a better performance after what happened last week, which we’re putting on the short week they had. The Chargers aren’t as good as they used to be, especially their defense, and we think they’ll have a tough time hanging with the Cowboys’ offense. Take Dallas for the sports betting “upset”.
