Arizona opens at the Los Angeles Chargers in the biggest mismatch on the Week 1 board. Kickoff is 4:25 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium on CBS, and the Chargers are laying 10.5, the only double digit spread of the weekend.
What time is Cardinals vs Chargers, and what channel?
Sunday, September 13 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, carried regionally, with streaming on Paramount Plus. Note the network: the usual conference rule would put an NFC road team on FOX, but the league assigned this one to CBS.
The matchup
Los Angeles is the only double digit favorite in Week 1, and by a clear margin: the next largest spread is the Jaguars at 7.5. The moneyline of -550 prices the Chargers at roughly an 85 percent chance to win outright.
The 46.5 total is middle of the road, which combined with the spread implies a projected score in the neighborhood of 28-18.
Prediction and odds
Take Arizona plus the points. Double digit spreads in Week 1 are historically difficult to trust because nobody has current form to price off, and 10.5 asks the Chargers to win by 11 in a game with a modest total. The Chargers should win it; covering by that margin is a different question.
Our pick: Chargers 27, Cardinals 20, Arizona covers.
The bottom line
The largest spread of the opening weekend and the only one in double digits. The side to win is straightforward, the side to cover is not.