Chargers News: Opening Odds For Cowboys-Chargers Matchup Revealed
Ahead of your Los Angeles Chargers' Week 6 Monday Night Football battle with the Dallas Cowboys next week, there's a lot to break down.
The Bolts' odds of winning the contest is at the forefront of the analysis, and per Cowboys blogger David Halprin, the Chargers have opened as 1.5-point underdogs on DraftKings.
Being a home underdog usually isn't a good sign, as home teams are given a 3-point advantage in spreads. Meaning, that if this game were to be played at a neutral site, the Cowboys would be favored by 4.5, and if it were in Dallas, the Cowboys would be 7.5-point favorites.
Being favored to lose (especially to that magnitude) doesn't inspire much confidence in the Bolts. But, many of these betting lines are diagnostic, and reflect less of what the actual outcome of the game ends up being. Let's break down DraftKings' numbers.
The Cowboys are coming off of a gruesome 32-point road loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, where they turned the ball over 4 times and failed to enter the red zone once.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are coming off of their Week 5 bye, and as such, given the Monday Night scheduling of this game, have had 14 full days to prepare. Teams experience great comparative success coming out of byes, giving your Bolts a higher chance of coming out with a victory.
Aug 20, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (2) scores a touchdown on a 98-yard kickoff return against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
From a matchup standpoint, the Cowboys have a league-leading defense, especially when it comes to forcing turnovers. Those stats, however, are likely inflated by having faced three turnover-prone quarterbacks, in Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, and Mac Jones. Having forced just one turnover (a fumble) against the 49ers, and none in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals, it's safe to say that a Chargers team that takes good care of the ball, led by Justin Herbert who has just one interception on the season, should be able to work around the Dallas defense.
The Chargers' elite aerial attack will pose problems for Dallas, as against Brock Purdy and the 49ers, they allowed him to complete 70.4% of his passes for 252 yards and 4 touchdowns. With Herbert being more of a playmaker than Purdy, there's a very real chance he puts up similar stats.
The Cowboys offense and the Chargers defense will be the less entertaining side of the matchup. The Cowboys offense has struggled tremendously throughout the season, with most of their scoring coming either on the defensive side of the ball, or on short fields due to turnovers generated by their defense. The Chargers defense has also struggled, however, making this matchup the X-factor of the MNF action.
Regardless, this should be one of the best games of the Week 6 slate, so sit back and enjoy.
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