Now that the first two games of the 2026 NFL regular season have been determined, football fans’ attention turns toward a Sunday slate that includes 13 season-opening matchups. One of the late-afternoon games will feature the Arizona Cardinals versus the Los Angeles Chargers, two teams that are on distinct paths.
Arizona isn’t expected to be much of a playoff threat this year. In fact, they were the only NFC West team that missed the postseason last year as the Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams all qualified. For the Chargers, head coach Jim Harbaugh’s third year is looking to make up for an early playoff exit against the Patriots this past January.
There’s no mystery which team NFL prediction markets are choosing as the favorite in this game: it’s the Los Angeles Chargers all the way. Admittedly, we’re just a tad bit “taken aback” by the 81¢ contract price on a Chargers victory. Having a team listed as four-to-one underdogs in an NFL season opener is rare for prediction markets and sportsbooks alike, but somehow the Cardinals have managed to pull that off.
In short, sports forecasters think Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers are going to stomp Arizona at SoFi Stadium this Sunday afternoon, and there’s nothing recently named captain Jacoby Brissett or running back Jeremiyah Love will be able to do about it. Moreover, Love may not play this Sunday due to ongoing concerns with his ankle.
We like the Chargers to win by more than 9.5 points. Yes, that’s an uncommon point spread for Week 1 of the NFL regular season, but the only thing the Cardinals have going for them is wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. Otherwise, the team is in “rebuilding” mode as far as we can tell.
High-ankle sprains are a serious matter. Jeremiyah Love may be able to fully recover from a preseason injury he sustained one month ago, but reinjury isn’t out of the question. Technically, he’s listed as a starter for Sunday afternoon’s game against Los Angeles.
However, if the score gets out of hand, the Cardinals may opt to sideline their No. 3 overall pick to allow for another week or two of rest. At 21 years old, Love is an asset that Arizona (or potentially another NFL team) will want to carry the offensive load for years to come.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was named team captain by the Arizona Cardinals earlier this week. That’s great news for the 33-year-old veteran, especially given his recently reworked contract that bumped his compensation package up to $15.5 million.
But the Cardinals might ditch Brissett later in the season, regardless. He’s been a decent fill-in since Kyler Murray left the team, but is probably going to get traded before the November 10th deadline. A 1-3 (or 0-4) record for the Cardinals at that point would pretty much seal the deal.
Maybe the contracts for Los Angeles to win Sunday afternoon will come down to 78¢ or 79¢ before kickoff, but that’s not a certainty. The best hope for value-seekers is for Arizona to kick an early field goal on its first possession to (slightly) drive the Chargers’ contracts down.
To stream this game, sports fans will need a Paramount+ or NFL+ subscription. Local viewers can watch the game on a CBS affiliate station.
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