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2 Best Bets for Monday Night Football: Chargers at Cardinals

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2 Best Bets for Monday Night Football: Chargers at Cardinals

There's a Monday night doubleheader taking place in Week 7, with the second game pitting the Los Angeles Chargers against the Arizona Cardinals. Of the two teams, the Cardinals are a bit more desperate to get in the win column to avoid falling to 2-5 on the season.

As for the Chargers, they've secured a 3-2 record entering Monday night in Jim Harbaugh's first year as head coach. A win for the Bolts would keep them in second place in the AFC West, putting them ahead of the 4-3 Denver Broncos and behind the 6-0 Kansas City Chiefs.

Using the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as a guide, here are the best bets for this week's second Monday night game.

All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Monday Night Football Betting Picks: Chargers at Cardinals

Under 44.5 (-118)

In a game where Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray will be under center, it's tough to envision a scenario where 45-plus points are scored. Both teams want to run the ball and control the clock, which should lead to fewer possessions for both squads.

Ahead of Monday night's showdown, the Chargers have the fifth-lowest pass rate over expected (-7.8%), and the Cardinals own the seventh-lowest pass rate over expected (-7.2%). Additionally, Los Angeles is averaging the second-fewest plays per game (56.6), and Arizona is recording the third-fewest plays per game (57.0).

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Being that the Chargers want to run the ball often with J.K. Dobbins, it's worth noting that the Cardinals are 28th in schedule-adjusted run defense, so there shouldn't be many times where LA strays away from the ground game. Meanwhile, the Chargers are 10th or better in schedule-adjusted pass and run defense, which could make scoring difficult for a Cardinals team that has produced 14 or fewer points in 3 of their last 4 games.

While Arizona is 3-3 to the over through their first six contests, Los Angeles is 1-4 to the over due to their ability to sustain long drives and play formidable defense. The Chargers are also 30th in red-zone touchdown percentage (41.7%), so they could settle for more field goals than touchdowns in this matchup.

Chargers -1.5 1st Half Spread (+115)

Securing a lead in the first half hasn't been much of an issue for the Chargers in their first five games. On the other hand, they've struggled to perform well in the second half, leading us to side with Los Angeles to jump out to at least a two-point lead in Monday's clash with Arizona.

In four of their first five contests this year, the Chargers have gotten out to a three-point lead or more in the first half. The lone game where Los Angeles failed to hold a lead at halftime was back in Week 1 versus the Las Vegas Raiders -- who they ended up beating 22-10.

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Over the last four weeks, the Chargers have tallied a total of nine points in the second half. As a result, Los Angeles is scoring the fewest second half points per game (5.0) in the NFL.

Along with the Chargers consistently securing leads in the first half, the Cardinals have been down by at least 10 points at halftime in each of their last four games. Given LA's woes in the final two quarters -- and Arizona consistently playing from behind in the first half -- we'll back the Chargers to be up by two-plus points when the teams head to the locker room at halftime.


Get ready for Monday Night Football! All customers get a 30% Profit Boost Token for a 3+ leg SGP on either game happening October 21st! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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