Cowboys vs. Chargers Point Spread: NFL Week 2 Odds, Prediction
The Chargers are coming off a season-opening 20-16 win in Washington, and now play host to a Cowboys squad seeking to end a two-game straight slide on the road. Dallas enjoys a 10-day break between games after suffering a heartbreaking 31-29 loss in Tampa Bay last week on Thursday Night Football.
The point spread for this Week 2 matchup at SoFi Stadium has fluctuated since its opening, briefly tilting in favour of the Cowboys before returning to its opening position at Chargers -3. However, the total has made steady gains since opening at 52.0, climbing to 55.0.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Sunday afternoon’s matchup marks just the second meeting between these two teams since 2013. While meetings with Dallas have been rare, the Chargers have dominated in recent dates with the Cowboys, winning outright in four of five including each of the past three. The Chargers claimed victory by an average margin of 10.74 points per game in their four recent wins, capped by a decisive 28-6 as narrow 1-point road chalk in their most recent matchup four years ago. With an average of over 26 points scored per game during their 4-1 run, the OVER enjoys a 3-2 run in totals betting.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys got a much needed lift last weekend from the return of star quarterback Dak Prescott. Sidelined for most of last season by a gruesome ankle injury, Prescott flashed midseason form while tossing for 403 yards and three touchdowns. However, that effort was not enough to get past Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions, who racked up 431 total yards of offence despite controlling the ball for fewer than 26 minutes.
With their third season-opening defeat in four years, the Cowboys have now lost outright in six of their past seven road contests. The squad’s woes are complicated by a lengthening injury list. Three players open the week in quarantine, including offensive lineman Zach Martin, and receiver Michael Gallup has been added to the IR after suffering a calf injury in Tampa Bay.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers carried over the strong play that highlighted their final weeks of last season with a 20-16 win over Washington in Week 1. Justin Herbert continued to demonstrate why he won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honours last season with a 337-yard performance. But while Herbert was able to move the ball into the Washington red zone on six occasions, the Chargers offence managed to convert those opportunities into major scores on just two occasions.
While Los Angeles has proven effective at shutting down opposing offences during their current 5-0 straight up run, allowing just 19.4 points per game, this weekend’s matchup has the all the makings of a gunslingers duel. With few injuries reported, this provides a golden opportunity for the Chargers to silence the naysayers, who have accurately pointed out that most of the team’s recent success has come against inferior opponents.
DAL
LAC