The Los Angeles Chargers will play their first game at their second-year stadium with a full house of fans on Sunday when they host the Dallas Cowboys. Which way to lean at BMR’s top-rated sportsbooks?
Sunday, September 19, 2021 – 04:25 PM EDT at SoFi Stadium
I expect this to be the most-watched and most-wagered Week 2 game on Sunday afternoon at BMR’s top-rated books (not counting the Sunday night game) simply because it involves the Dallas Cowboys and the USA’s second-biggest media market in Los Angeles.
This will be the first time the Chargers will play a home game at the $5 billion SoFi Stadium with fans in attendance because of course fans weren’t allowed in many NFL stadiums last year. I still expect the crowd to be a majority of Cowboys backers because football fans living in Los Angeles generally root for the Rams – and SoFi Stadium is really the Rams’ building. They just lease it out to the Chargers as well.
Dallas is 6-5 all-time against the Chargers, but the Bolts have won the past three – including the most recent meeting 28-6 in Arlington on Thanksgiving Day 2017. Retired Philip Rivers was still the Chargers QB that day and threw for 434 yards and three scores. Keenan Allen, who is still around, had 11 catches for 172 yards and a TD. Dak Prescott was not good for Dallas in throwing for 179 yards and two picks. The road team is 4-1 on NFL picks in the past five meetings.
The Cowboys are on extra rest after they lost a heartbreaker in the Thursday night Kickoff Game in Week 1, 31-29 at defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay on a last-second field goal.
One huge bright spot from that loss was QB Dak Prescott playing his first game since suffering severe ankle/leg injuries in Week 5 last year. Dak looked spectacular in completing 42-for-58 for 403 yards with three TDs and a pick. Prescott has now thrown for at least 400 yards in four of his past five starts. That’s a first in NFL history.
The bad news from last Thursday was the running attack was non-existent – Zeke Elliott had 33 yards on 11 carries – and the defense didn’t look at that much better from last year’s historically bad unit in the team debut of the new coordinator Dan Quinn. Dallas allowed 431 total yards and 6.7 yards per play. The only reason the Cowboys had a chance to win was that Tampa Bay uncharacteristically turned it over four times.
All-Pro Dallas guard Zack Martin missed the game in the COVID protocols, but he is expected to play Sunday. However, right tackle La’el Collins will be out as he was suspended for five games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Not sure how he was able to play in the opener?
In addition, No. 3 wideout Michael Gallup has landed on injured reserve. Gallup suffered the strain in the second half of the Tampa Bay game after catching four passes for 36 yards. Cedrick Wilson will replace Gallup as the No. 3 receiver. The Cowboys are 3-8 ATS on the NFL odds in their past 11 road games.
Eight road teams and nine underdogs won outright in Week 1 and the Chargers were one of them, upsetting Washington 20-16 as 2.5-point dogs. Frankly, I’m not sure how the Chargers didn’t win by a bigger margin considering they were an astounding 14-for-19 on third-down conversions and outgained Washington 424-259. QB Justin Herbert threw for 337 yards and a TD but had a pick and a lost fumble.
Of course, he was the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was the 2016 winner of that award. Herbert has guided the Chargers to five consecutive wins and covers dating back to last season. Keenan Allen had nine catches for 100 yards in the opener and Mike Williams eight grabs for 82 yards and a touchdown.
The overhauled Chargers offensive line allowed just two sacks of Herbert against one of the NFL’s top defenses. The Bolts held Washington to just six pressures on Herbert’s 49 dropbacks. However, a key piece of that group, right tackle, Bryan Bulaga, did not play in the second half due to injury. Not clear yet his status for this one.
Maybe things have changed for this franchise under first-year coach Brandon Staley, who is a +1100 second-favorite on the BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) NFL futures odds to win NFL Coach of the Year. The previous two seasons combined under Anthony Lynn, the Chargers had 16 losses in one-possession games. The Bolts are 3-9-1 ATS at BMR’s top-rated books in their past 13 as home favorites. As mentioned above, for my NFL picks, I expect a pro-Cowboys crowd. I hate this number right on 3 (hate all games sitting right on 3 and would take an alternate line), frankly, but will take Dallas.
NFL Pick: Cowboys +3 (+100) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.