The Arizona Cardinals won 10 games last season, which almost always manages to be good enough to make the playoffs. Last year, though, it wasn’t. Can Arizona win 10 again?
San Diego Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals
Monday, September 8th – 10:20 PM ET
Odds: Arizona -3
Why The Chargers Will Cover
They should have a lot of confidence in their abilities after putting together a good season, good enough to not only make the playoffs, but play the Denver Broncos close. There’s no bigger reason to trust the Chargers this year from a betting standpoint. They played the Denver Broncos extremely tough over the course of three games. Denver did win two of the three games, but all three games were close, and Denver’s two wins were by only one possession, eight points in the regular season and seven in the playoffs. San Diego had the discipline on defense to not give up big plays and to cover Denver’s receivers in the middle of the field. Peyton Manning would have to go to the sides of the field and throw a little more horizontally than he would have liked. The other thing the Chargers did against Denver, especially when they beat the Broncos during the regular season in the Mile High City, was to control the ball and keep it away from the Broncos. The Chargers, under Mike Riley, found a disciplined way to play, and quarterback Philip Rivers seemed to regain the belief that he’s a really good quarterback. Rivers’ career had been drifting, and he appeared to get it back last season. That’s the biggest reason why San Diego can take on a tough Arizona defense and not back down in a night game. What will also help the Chargers is that Arizona pass rusher Darnell Dockett is out for the Cardinals. Arizona is going to miss his presence up front.
Why The Cardinals Will Cover
The above reason why the Chargers will cover is tempered by one key change to the San Diego operation. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who was interestingly enough the man who coached the Cardinals to the Super Bowl several years ago, left the Charger staff to become the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt developed a bond with Rivers and enabled the quarterback to improve his game. Whisenhunt was an excellent assistant coach, a man who has a reputation for being able to work well with quarterbacks. Jake Locker is his big new project in Tennessee. With the Chargers’ staff being reworked, San Diego’s chemistry and flow on offense might be hurt to the extent that Dockett’s injury might not be enough to get the Chargers over the top.
Another basic reason to bet on the Cardinals in this game is that they’re at home. A bigger reason than that, though, is that Arizona is from the NFC West, San Diego the AFC West. These were the two best divisions in football last year, but the NFC West was better, shown by Seattle’s rout of Denver in the Super Bowl. Do you really trust San Diego to outmuscle Arizona at the line of scrimmage? You shouldn’t.
Outlook
If the NFC West is still better than the AFC West in your opinion, you should bet on Arizona. The Cardinals, playing at home, will probably wear down the Chargers in the fourth quarter.
Pick: Cardinals -3
