Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Chargers Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Sunday September 13 2026
Arizona travels to SoFi Stadium under a brand-new coaching staff to face the Chargers, and this Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona picks preview breaks down the odds, the line movement and the matchup angles bettors need before kickoff. For more NFL picks and predictions like this one, check out our NFL picks hub before locking in any wagers on this one.
TLDR: Quick Picks and Prediction
- Spread Pick: Arizona +9.5 (-105)
- Total Pick: Under 47.5
- Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers 24, Arizona 17
Odds and Line Movement
Here is where the numbers stand heading into kickoff, along with the full line movement tracked over the last several days for both the spread market and the total.
Current Odds: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona
| Market | Line |
|---|---|
| Spread - Arizona | +9.5 (-105) |
| Spread - LA Chargers | -9.5 (-115) |
| Total - Over 47.5 | -102 |
| Total - Under 47.5 | -118 |
Line Movement - Spread
| Date | Arizona | L.A. Chargers | Public ($, #) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/08 | +9.5 -105 | -9.5 -115 | ARI 57%, LAC 63% |
| 09/08 | +9.5 -112 | -9.5 -108 | ARI 62%, LAC 64% |
| 09/08 | +9.5 -108 | -9.5 -112 | ARI 62%, LAC 64% |
| 09/07 | +10 -115 | -10 -105 | ARI 62%, LAC 63% |
| 09/07 | +9.5 -105 | -9.5 -115 | ARI 62%, LAC 63% |
| 09/07 | +10 -115 | -10 -105 | ARI 62%, LAC 63% |
Line Movement - Total
| Date | Over | Under | Public ($, #) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/08 | 47½-102 | 47½-118 | UN 90%, UN 63% |
| 09/08 | 47½-105 | 47½-115 | UN 91%, UN 64% |
| 09/07 | 47½-108 | 47½-112 | UN 94%, UN 59% |
| 09/07 | 47½-105 | 47½-115 | UN 94%, UN 59% |
| 08/29 | 46½-115 | 46½-105 | UN 100%, UN 75% |
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona: Key Matchups and Game Preview
As mentioned in a Rams vs. 49ers preview, those two NFC West franchises have built a coaching tree that is extending far and wide throughout the roots of the NFL. There may be no better example of that than new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, who was a long-time assistant with both the Rams and 49ers under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. LaFleur takes over the Cardinals' program after three difficult years under Jonathan Gannon.
Arizona's New Coaching Staff
Because of his connections to Shanahan and McVay, plus his brother in Green Bay, LaFleur was going to be an attractive candidate for a lot of teams that were in the coaching market. He clearly saw an attractive opportunity with the Cardinals, since he probably had some options on the table. Depth and attrition are certainly going to be issues as the season goes on, but there's trust that LaFleur has a nice gameplan in place for this one.
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Los Angeles's Offensive Line Concerns
Josh Sweat produced 12 sacks with four forced fumbles last year, and he will provide a stiff test against a Chargers offensive line that battled injuries all of last season. The Chargers went 5-7 against the spread as a favorite last year, a trend worth watching given their role in this matchup.
ARI Defensive Playmakers
In terms of depth throughout the organization, LaFleur has been dealt a tough hand, because even the most knowledgeable NFL fans and bettors would struggle to identify most of the names that appear on the second layer of the Cardinals' depth chart. Stud defensive tackle Walter Nolen III couldn't stay on the field because of injuries last year, but that's a concern further down the road rather than an opening-week issue.
Cardinals' Depth Concerns
The Cardinals have very little depth at receiver behind Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne, but that's also not a Week 1 problem. The Cardinals should have no problem adjusting to SoFi Stadium, which is a venue they play in every season, normally against the Rams.
ARI vs. LAC Betting Trends
The public has leaned toward the Chargers throughout the week, with support ranging from 63% to 64% on one metric, while Arizona has held between 57% and 62% on the other metric across every recorded snapshot from 09/07 through 09/08. On the total, the Under has carried heavy backing all week, sitting between 90% and 100% on one metric and between 59% and 75% on the other across every recorded snapshot from 08/29 through 09/08.
ARI and LAC: Key Injuries and Things To Know
- Arizona defensive tackle Walter Nolen III couldn't stay on the field because of injuries last year.
- The Los Angeles Chargers' offensive line battled injuries throughout all of last season.
Cardinals vs Chargers Side and Total Picks for Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona
- Spread Pick: Arizona +9.5 (-105) — the Chargers went just 5-7 against the spread as a favorite last year, and with Josh Sweat providing a stiff test for an offensive line that battled injuries all of last season, this number looks larger than it should be for a Cardinals team with cornerstone pieces to lean on in Week 1.
- Total Pick: Under 47.5 — Arizona's thin receiver depth behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and the Chargers' own offensive line concerns point toward a game that could be lower-scoring than the total suggests.
Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona
- Los Angeles Chargers: 24
- Arizona: 17
This projection reflects Arizona's cornerstone talent on both sides of the ball keeping the game respectable behind Mike LaFleur's gameplan, while the Chargers' own inconsistencies as a favorite last season help keep the final margin closer than the current line suggests.
How to Wager on Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona
For this matchup, the clearest value sits with Arizona getting the extra points given the Chargers' shaky 5-7 record against the spread as a favorite last season, paired with the Under given the offensive limitations facing both teams heading into Week 1. The line movement tables above also show the spread settling between 9.5 and 10 points over the last couple of days, so bettors comparing entry points can see how the number has moved.
Before locking in a wager on this matchup, it can help to compare projections from more than one model. Our AI picks hub breaks down how different AI-driven tools are approaching games like Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona, including a closer look at the Dimers review and the Oddible review for anyone wanting a second opinion on the spread or total before betting this one.
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