The Arizona Cardinals may have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, but it wasn’t evident in their season opener. With star quarterback Carson Palmer expected to play sparingly again in Week 2 of the preseason, the Cardinals offense could struggle again against the San Diego Chargers. It could be the same story for San Diego, which has a veteran quarterback in Philip Rivers who doesn’t need a lot of preparation to be ready to roll when the regular season opens.
This Week 2 preseason duel will be held on Friday, August 19th, 2016, at 10 p.m. ET at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona Cardinals +1.5
San Diego Chargers -1.5
Over/Under 41
Odds Analysis
The spreads are hard to predict in the preseason since there are so many players coming in and out of the game. The first-teamers aren’t expected to stay in long for either team. The Cardinals have some nice depth on defense, which could help keep the score down. Considering both teams scored only 10 points apiece in their openers, targeting the “under” of the 41 total points could be the sensible play.
Quarterback Rotation
Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer played one series in the 31-10 loss to the Raiders to open up the preseason, finishing 3-of-5 for 38 yards. He is an established veteran and may only see a little bit more time in this game.
Backup Drew Stanton struggled during his playing time, finishing 2-of-6 for 42 yards and an interception. He may get a longer stretch in this game. Third-string quarterback Matt Barkley struggled as well, finishing 8-of-24 for 121 yards with an interception. Rookie undrafted free agent Jake Coker saw limited time in the opener but may play a little more. He’s raw and may not have a bunch of success.
Philip Rivers only threw three passes in his first game but made the most of them, completing two for 64 yards and a touchdown. Kellen Clemens got the most work and did OK, completing 8-of-15 passes for 96 yards. Zach Mettenberger was just 2-of-8 for 22 yards and an interception, while Mike Bercovici was 3-of-6 for 46 yards and a pick.
Rivers may see a little bit more playing time, but probably not much. Mettenberger will likely bounce back after a bad start, which is something to watch.
Coaching History
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is known as one of the better in-game tacticians but his career preseason record sits at only 6-7. The Cardinals went 2-2 last preseason before losing only three games throughout the entire regular season, so it’s not indicative of the team’s talent level.
San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy is 5-8 in his career in the preseason, and has gone 2-2 in each of the past two seasons. The Chargers must win two of their final three games this year in order to keep up that pace.
Free ATS Pick
The Cardinals look like a Super Bowl contender heading into the regular season, while the Chargers may be lucky to finish near .500 after a poor season in 2015. That talent disparity won’t mean much in the preseason, especially if the Cardinals’ backup quarterbacks struggle once again. Stanton has found some regular season success so he should be able to bounce back, but the Cardinals seem likely to be cautious with their collection of stars and be willing to sacrifice a win for remaining healthy. The Chargers will likely have the same thought process with Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates but could come away with the win at home in NFL gambling.
NFL Odds: Chargers 17, Cardinals 13
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