Chargers @ Cardinals NFL Week 7 picks & odds | Monday, October 21

Chargers @ Cardinals top tips

Chargers @ Cardinals NFL Week 7 preview

The Los Angeles Chargers will be looking to go 4-2 when they travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals on Monday night in the final game of NFL Week 7.

Last Sunday, the Chargers secured an important divisional victory, beating the Broncos by seven points in Denver. In a strong all-round performance, the Chargers scored the first 23 points of the game before allowing the Broncos to close the gap with a pair of late touchdowns.

Led by new coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers have become the best defensive team in the NFL this season. While they rank in the bottom four for total offensive yards, the game management of quarterback Justin Herbert and their strong run-game mean LA are able to grind out low-scoring wins. At -131.58 with Bovada, they are favourites this week.

There are plenty of concerns on the injury front for the Chargers — headlined by edge rusher Joey Bosa, who has not played since Week 3 with a hip injury. Also missing from practice this week were cornerback pair Kristian Fulton and Deane Leonard with hamstring injuries, as well as receiving duo Quinten Johnston (ankle) and Hayden Hurst (groin).

It wasn’t so positive for the Cardinals last Sunday, as they lost to the Packers by 21 points. After conceding the first 24 points of the game, Arizona were on the back foot early. A run of 13 points either side of half-time gave them hope, but three consecutive fumbles killed any chance of a comeback.

Expectations were high for Arizona after beating the 49ers in Week 5, but now they sit at 2-4. They have a top-five rushing offense, but conceding over 27 points per game is a major concern. The Cardinals are +110 underdogs with leading sportsbooks this week.

There are three key concerns for Arizona, with offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum (hamstring), linebacker Owen Pappoe (hip) and defensive tackle Darius Robinson (calf) all missing practice.

Chargers @ Cardinals betting strategy

Given the Chargers’ strong defense, expect the Cardinals to struggle to get their run game going. This is a terrible matchup for Arizona, as they are a bottom-five rush defense against a run-heavy opponent. At -111.11 with top online bookmakers, back the Chargers to cover the line of -2.

Every Chargers game this season has gone under the total points line. Also, the Cardinals have only scored over 14 points once in the last four weeks, so back this game to go under 44 total points at -111.11 with leading sports betting sites.

At -125 with top football sportsbooks, Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins is a safe bet to score in this game. He leads the team with three touchdowns this season, and with running back Gus Edwards out and wide receiver Quinten Johnston in doubt, Dobbins should be guaranteed carries in the redzone.

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