- 1 Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals: the biggest spread of opening weekend
- 2 The Chargers finally have a stacked offense
- 3 Arizona starts over at quarterback
- 4 NFL Prediction Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals: the biggest spread of opening weekend 
The Chargers are giving 9.5 points to Arizona at SoFi Stadium. That is one of the widest spreads on the board for this entire opening weekend.
The market actually opened at 10.5 points in the Los Angeles Chargers’ favour. So the Cardinals have already pulled a full point back, which is never nothing when the number is in double digits.
Kickoff is set for Sunday, September 13 at 10:25 p.m., inside a climate-controlled building. The total is sitting between 46.5 and 47.5 points depending on the book.
Los Angeles Chargers are priced at 1.19 to win outright, Arizona at 4.90. The pecking order is clear enough, but winning and covering ten points are two very different jobs.
The real storyline is on the Chargers sideline. Mike McDaniel takes over the offense as coordinator, and Justin Herbert is walking into a system built on motion and pre-snap shifting.
Across the field, Arizona is coming off a 3-14 season and is kicking off the Mike LaFleur era. Kyler Murray is gone, and the franchise is starting again at quarterback from scratch.
A playoff hopeful against a team in rebuild mode: that much is obvious. The only question is whether the gap on the field is as wide as the one the bookmakers are offering.
The Chargers finally have a stacked offense 
Herbert begins his seventh season after carrying the Chargers’ offense almost single-handedly in 2025. He finished with 340 completions from 512 attempts for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
His 94.1 passer rating looks even better when you remember he played with a broken bone in his left hand and behind a shaky protection unit. He also added 498 rushing yards, proof his legs are still there when the pocket falls apart.
The return of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater on the offensive line changes everything. When Los Angeles Chargers can protect with five and open up the full playbook, Herbert is very hard to slow down.
The weapons are there too. Ladd McConkey led the team in receiving with 789 yards, ahead of Keenan Allen on 777. Quentin Johnston put up 735 yards and eight touchdowns, while Oronde Gadsden II added 664.
The run game held together despite the injuries, with 643 yards for Kimani Vidal and 545 for Omarion Hampton. Arizona will not be able to load up on one threat and hope that is enough.
On defense, Tuli Tuipulotu posted 13 sacks last season. Derwin James chipped in with 94 tackles and three interceptions from the back end.
McDaniel’s system leans on motion and spacing, which should give Herbert easier reads. The issue for Los Angeles Chargers is timing in Week 1, not whether the scheme makes sense.
Jim Harbaugh has always liked his football rough and direct once his team gets in front. If they are ahead by ten in the second half, he is far more likely to drain the clock than chase style points.
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Arizona starts over at quarterback 
The Cardinals have moved on from Kyler Murray and reworked Jacoby Brissett’s deal, with the veteran projected to start. He brings experience and the ability to keep a cautious offense on the rails.
His job comes down to three things: avoid turnovers, keep the offense in the right protection, and force Los Angeles Chargers to defend long drives. Nobody is asking him to win a quarterback duel with Herbert.
The backfield is more worrying. James Conner was limited to 32 carries for 95 yards in an injury-hit 2025.
Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick in the draft, is carrying a high ankle sprain into the new season. His status will shape a big chunk of Arizona’s ability to get any sort of run game going.
There are still weapons in the passing game, starting with Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, who has been signed through 2029. Those two give Brissett reliable targets on intermediate routes.
The sensible plan is to slow things down and string together long possessions. The less Herbert is on the field, the better Arizona’s chances of hanging around.
The danger is obvious: a three-and-out followed by a quick Chargers touchdown could blow the game open in minutes. For an underdog, the nightmare usually starts in the first ten minutes.
LaFleur also has no reason to expose Brissett to pointless deep shots. A controlled, tight game is far better than a messy shootout to open a new era.
NFL Prediction Los Angeles Chargers vs Arizona Cardinals
Our prediction: Under 47.5 points in the game
Arizona has every reason to drag out its possessions and burn clock, which automatically cuts down the number of offensive drives. With Conner limited and Love uncertain, the Cardinals do not look built to get anywhere near the mid-20s anyway.
For the Chargers, Harbaugh tends to manage leads rather than pile on, and McDaniel is installing a system that will need a few weeks before it is firing properly. A 27-13 or 30-13 finish is exactly the kind of result this game points toward.
The under is priced at 1.85. It is the strongest play on the card.
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