- The Chargers are Week 1’s biggest point-spread favorite, -9.5 at BetOnline and -8.5 at Bovada over Arizona.
- New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel calls the plays for a Justin Herbert offense remade with Charlie Kolar and Cole Strange.
- Jeremiyah Love, the rookie back Arizona drafted third overall, practiced on a limited basis Wednesday as his high ankle sprain heals.
- An abdomen injury kept cornerback Deane Leonard out of Wednesday’s practice, the lone Charger sidelined by an ailment.
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Chargers are the NFL’s biggest Week 1 favorite, with Chargers Cardinals odds sitting at -9.5 at BetOnline and -8.5 at Bovada for Sunday’s opener against Arizona at SoFi Stadium.
Half A Point Clear Of The Field
BetOnline has the Chargers -9.5 at -105, half a point clear of Jacksonville’s -9 over Cleveland for the next-widest number on this week’s board for legal sports betting. Bovada has the same game a half-point tighter, Los Angeles -8.5 at -110.
That half-point matters on its own – an Arizona backdoor score that trims the final margin to nine cashes a Chargers ticket at Bovada’s -8.5 and loses it at BetOnline’s -9.5, so which book took the bet decides some tickets before either offense takes the field. Kickoff is 1:25 p.m. PT Sunday, the Chargers’ first home date of the season and a marquee Sunday on the California sports betting calendar.
| BetOnline | Line | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Chargers | -9.5 | -105 |
| Cardinals | +9.5 | -115 |
| Over | 47 | -115 |
| Under | 47 | -105 |
The 47 total paired with that spread implies a Chargers score near 28 and a Cardinals score near 19, a scoreline built on Los Angeles pulling away rather than the two sides trading scores into the fourth quarter. That game script shapes a NFL favorite this size and the biggest spread of all the games in the opening week.
McDaniel Rebuilds The Offense
New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, an NFL head coach as recently as last season, takes over a Justin Herbert-led offense remade this offseason with Charlie Kolar at tight end, Keaton Mitchell at running back and Cole Strange at right guard. Second-round rookie Jake Slaughter is set to start at center.
Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston on a 65-yard touchdown in the preseason, the clearest look yet at what McDaniel’s scheme wants to do down the field before it has to prove it against a regular-season defense.
Love’s Ankle, And The Rest Of The Report
Arizona’s Wednesday injury report listed Jeremiyah Love as limited, the third overall pick still working his way back from the high ankle sprain that ended his preseason. Garrett Williams and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson joined Love in Arizona’s limited group, the cornerback nursing an Achilles and the safety his ribs, while Will Johnson and punter Blake Gillikin went through full workouts.
Los Angeles held one player out of Wednesday’s session for an injury, cornerback Deane Leonard with an abdomen issue. Khalil Mack skipped the day too, a scheduled rest for the veteran rather than anything physical. Four more Chargers took limited reps – RJ Mickens with an ankle problem, Keaton Mitchell a hamstring, and Brenen Thompson and Tuli Tuipulotu each managing a hip. Final designations for both teams are due Friday, two days before kickoff.
