Chargers vs. Cardinals Free Pick
GLENDALE, AZ (The Spread) – In the second game of tonight’s “Monday Night Football” double header, the Cardinals will host the Chargers at 10:20PM ET.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Cardinals are 3-point home favorites over the visiting Chargers, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 45 points. Arizona opened as 3.5-point favorites before the line was bet down, while the total opened at 44.5 and has been bet up.
The Chargers enter 2013 hoping to build off the success they had a year ago when they won a road playoff game and got a career year out of quarterback Philip Rivers. The team added Donald Brown and Brandon Flowers in free agency to help add depth on both sides of the ball, and drafted TCU cornerback Jason Verrett and Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu in May. If the secondary improves and Rivers doesn’t regress, then the Chargers could be back in the playoff hunt again this year despite having to face Denver and Kansas City twice a year.
After winning 10 games last year but failing to qualify for the postseason, the Cardinals will look to put together another winning year and at least cash in on a wild card berth. Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd return to an offense that should once again put up points, and the team added Jared Veldheer in free agency in efforts to bolster the pass protection. The questions are on defense, where Darnell Dockett was lost for the season due to an injury suffered pre-season, linebacker Daryl Washington was suspended for the entire year, and safety Tyrann Mathieu is trying to battle back from ACL surgery. Overall, the Cardinals have been snake bitten by injuries, as running back Andre Ellington also suffered a foot injury on Thursday in practice and could miss anywhere from one to four weeks.
NFL FREE PICK: Take the Chargers. According to latest NFL trends, the Chargers are 4-0 against the spread in their last four road games, 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last five games on Monday. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are 0-4 against the number in their last four Monday night games and are dealing with major injury concerns on both sides of the ball. It’s reasonable to think that Arizona will take a step back this year.
2014 NFL WEEK 1 FREE PICK: SAN DIEGO CHARGERS +3
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