While every team comes into the new NFL season with the goal of winning the Super Bowl, each one of them knows that the journey begins by making it to the playoffs. Most of the offseason work has now been done, with new players drafted and deals made to ship out the old and bring in players that are hopefully better than their predecessors. This is a transition that every team makes, but it is arguably more important for those who missed the postseason in the previous year. The inability to get a team to the playoffs puts the head coach at risk and doing it more than once very often means the end of the road.
There is not a whole ton of urgency in Arizona, as they will be starting fresh with a new head coach after Bruce Arians retired at the end of last season. It’s a little more complicated in LA, as the Chargers missed out on the playoffs via a tiebreaker, with the feeling being that they are more than good enough to get in this year. Failure to do so would not go over well with the top brass. Chargers vs Cardinals is one of the 2018 NFL Preseason Week 1 betting games to pay close attention.
The Cardinals drafted QB Josh Rosen this offseason, suggesting that Bradford is merely a placeholder until Rosen learns the ropes as a pro. The preseason games are going to be important for Rosen, so expect to see him get quite a bit of playing time. We are not looking at a QB controversy here, but if Rosen does play well, the Cardinals will be less concerned about the possibility of Bradford going down again.
Chargers vs Cardinals 2018 NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds
“Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen, that connection is crazy…”
You’re not wrong, @DanGrazianoESPN. pic.twitter.com/KJUJAaGkXu — Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) 2 de agosto de 2018
- When: Saturday, August 11 at 10 PM EST
- Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix
- TV: NFL Network
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: NFL League Pass
- NFL Odds: Arizona Cardinals -2.5 (Over/Under at 36)
Recent Head to Head (Last 7 Games)
- Record: Los Angeles Chargers lead 4-3
- Score: Los Angeles Chargers 23.71 / Arizona Cardinals 17.71
- Rush Yards: Los Angeles Chargers 125.14 / Arizona Cardinals 68.43
- Pass Attempts: Los Angeles Chargers 34.14 / Arizona Cardinals 35.00
- Completion Percentage: Los Angeles Chargers 62.34 / Arizona Cardinals 57.55
- Passing Yards: Los Angeles Chargers 236.86 / Arizona Cardinals 235.57
- Total Yards: Los Angeles Chargers 362 / Arizona Cardinals 304
- Turnovers: Los Angeles Chargers 2.29 / Arizona Cardinals 1.71
Why bet on the LA Chargers?
The Chargers come into the new season as perhaps the most stable team in the AFC West. After all, each of the other teams playing in that division will have either a new head coach or a new starting QB to deal with. While the addition of those pieces could make those teams better, the reality is that there could also be some growing pains involved that stall the season. The Chargers will see this upheaval as an opportunity to seize control, but for that to happen, they need to get away from their habit of getting off to a slow start. The Chargers always seeming to be digging themselves out of a hole early on, and it can be argued that their preseason is more important than most. They will want to set a winning tone from the off in the hope that it carries over into the regular season.Why bet on the Arizona Cardinals?
Not only have the Arizona Cardinals turned the page on the Bruce Arians era, they have also bid farewell to QB Carson Palmer. It’s going to be a whole new show in the Steve Wilks era in Arizona, and it will likely begin with Sam Bradford at QB. While Bradford has proven to be a capable quarterback over the course of his career, he has also been one that has been prone to injury.
The Cardinals drafted QB Josh Rosen this offseason, suggesting that Bradford is merely a placeholder until Rosen learns the ropes as a pro. The preseason games are going to be important for Rosen, so expect to see him get quite a bit of playing time. We are not looking at a QB controversy here, but if Rosen does play well, the Cardinals will be less concerned about the possibility of Bradford going down again.
