Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Chargers Best Bet: Will Justin Herbert, Chargers Struggle on MNF?
Last week we watched the Cowboys get obliterated by the 49ers on primetime in a 42-10 route. The Cowboys never really had a chance in that game and how have to face Justin Herbert and a high powered Chargers offense. Will Dallas make the Chargers struggle tonight and bounce back? Let's break it down.
Joey Ruiz - October 16, 2023, 3:47 PM EDT
7 minDallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Chargers Best Bet: Will Justin Herbert, Chargers Struggle on MNF?
The Dallas Cowboys were embarrassed on SNF last week as they were blown out by the Niners as San Francisco dominated all three phases of the game. Dak Prescott also had his worst game of the season as he threw three interceptions and threw for a measly 153 yards.
Cowboys vs. Chargers Date, Time, and Where To Watch
- Date: Monday, October 16, 2023
- Game Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: ABC, ESPN
Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers Prediction
The Cowboys as a whole only tallied 197 yards which was their worst output of the year by far. This was one of those games where if you are the Cowboys, you almost have to throw away the tape and completely put it out of your mind. The Cowboys are not as bad as they appeared to be, and the 49ers may not be as dominate as we thought after watching them lose to the Browns with a 3rd string quarterback yesterday afternoon.
The Cowboys are now tasked with traveling to LA to face the Chargers, but I anticipate this being anything but a road game. There is not really a true home field advantage for the Rams or the Chargers as their home games are frequently filled with fans from the opposing team. I actually expect this to be a De Facto home game for the Cowboys as I think there will be more Cowboys fans in attendance compared to Chargers fans, so I am not worried about the potential of a hostile road atmosphere. I am also not as worried about the Chargers defense as they are nowhere near as dominant of a group as the 49ers.
The Chargers' defense has struggled a lot at times this year, particularly against the pass as they are allowing teams to throw for just under 300 yards per game against them which is dead last in the NFL. For reference, the Chargers are allowing 299.8 passing yards per game this season (32nd). The gap between the Chargers and the second worst passing defense is the same as the gap between the 31st and the 20th ranked passing defense, so they have been very bad to this point by a wide margin. They also haven't been much better at stopping the run this season either as they are 18th in yards allowed per carry as they are allowing their opponents to rush for 4.1 yards per rush to this point.
Overall, they are the 3rd worst defense in the NFL in yards allowed per play as they are allowing their opponents to gain 5.9 yards per snap, so it is safe to say the Chargers defense has underperformed to this point against middle of the pack competition. Other than the Dolphins, the Chargers have faced the Titans, Vikings, and Raiders who started a rookie quarterback in his first ever start in the NFL and nearly beat the Chargers straight up on the road.
The Cowboys looked very inept against San Francisco, but this is a prime bounce back spot for Dallas against a below average defense. Dallas has play makers all over the field with Tony Pollard in the backfield and Ceedee Lamb on the outside and I think Dak will play much better with better decision-making tonight.
I also expect the Dallas defense to play with a bit more pride tonight. Micah Parsons was nearly nonexistent in that game against the Niners, and I think he will notch at least a few sacks tonight. The Dallas defense is second in the league in sack percentage even after registering just a single sack against San Francisco last week and I fully expect them to regress positively towards their mean in that defensive category on primetime tonight as they should be able to get constant pressure on Justin Herbert.
With that being said, I am rolling with Cowboys ML at -115 for 1.5U as my most confident NFL Play of the Day for tonight's action as I see the Cowboys bouncing back in a big way with a statement win against the Chargers.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers Best Bet
1.5U Cowboys ML -115 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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