Week 1 · Sun, 4:25 PM EDT · CBS
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Market line for comparison: LAC -10.5 · O/U 46.5 (DraftKings). The model never sees this.
Rating inputs
Each starting rating is a weighted blend of five real football inputs, not just wins and losses. Every term below is measured from the 2025 season.
Arizona Cardinals
| Input | Rating | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
Elo from results 3-14 in 2025, opponent-adjusted | 1307 | 80% | 1045.4 |
Scoring strength 355–488 points (-133.0 differential) → 32.0% expected win rate | 1369 | 5% | 68.4 |
Late-season form same replay with the closing 6 weeks counted double | 1227 | 15% | 184.0 |
Offense / defense split 20.9 PPG scored, 28.7 allowed → offense 1447, defense 1358 | 1304 | 0% | 0.0 |
| Blended 2025 rating | 1297.8 | ||
Offseason regression 25% back toward the 1500 league mean | 1348.4 | ||
Roster / QB adjustment No offseason adjustment applied. | 0.0 | ||
| ARI 2026 starting rating | 1348 | ||
Los Angeles Chargers
| Input | Rating | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
Elo from results 11-6 in 2025, opponent-adjusted | 1550 | 80% | 1239.8 |
Scoring strength 368–340 points (+28.0 differential) → 54.7% expected win rate | 1533 | 5% | 76.6 |
Late-season form same replay with the closing 6 weeks counted double | 1537 | 15% | 230.6 |
Offense / defense split 21.6 PPG scored, 20.0 allowed → offense 1466, defense 1575 | 1541 | 0% | 0.0 |
| Blended 2025 rating | 1547.0 | ||
Offseason regression 25% back toward the 1500 league mean | 1535.3 | ||
Roster / QB adjustment No offseason adjustment applied. | 0.0 | ||
| LAC 2026 starting rating | 1535 | ||
The calculation
Every term the model applies, in order, from both teams' starting ratings to the number on the card.
Win probability
1 / (1 + 10−(216.9 / 400))
77.7% LAC
Model spread
216.9 ÷ 25, rounded to the nearest half point
LAC -8.5
Confidence band
Where the ratings came from
Each rating is the end state of a full 2025 season of Elo updates, regressed toward the league mean for the new season.
- 2025 final rating
- 1306.7
- Regress 25% toward 1500
- +41.7
- 2026 starting rating
- 1348.4
2025 Elo trail
Biggest swings
- L 22–41 vs SF−49.2
- W 27–17 at DAL+45.8
- W 20–13 at NO+36.6
- 2025 final rating
- 1549.8
- Regress 25% toward 1500
- −14.5
- 2026 starting rating
- 1535.3
2025 Elo trail
Biggest swings
- L 6–35 at JAX−68.0
- L 10–27 vs WSH−58.6
- W 37–10 vs MIN+50.7
Matchup factors
Everything beyond the two base ratings that moved this specific number.
Home field
+30.0 pts
worth 3.1 points of win probability
LAC hosts at SoFi Stadium. Every host gets the same flat 35 points — the model does not rate crowds individually.
Rest
+0.0 pts
Week 1: both teams come off the same offseason, so there is no rest edge to give.
Analyst override
+0.0 pts
No manual adjustment. The number here is pure model output.
2025 head to head
These teams did not meet in 2025. Past meetings carry no weight in the model anyway — they are already baked into each team's rating.
Strength of schedule
Who each team actually played in 2025, measured by their opponents' current ratings. This is context for reading the ratings — it is not an input to the prediction above, because beating good teams already raises a team's Elo more.
1541
average opponent rating · 2nd toughest of 32
- vs above-average teams
- 0-9
- vs below-average teams
- 3-5
1480
average opponent rating · 29th toughest of 32
- vs above-average teams
- 4-3
- vs below-average teams
- 7-3
What the model does not know
- · Injuries, suspensions and depth-chart changes.
- · Coaching and roster turnover between seasons.
- · Weather, travel distance and short-week fatigue beyond raw rest days.
- · Anything a betting market has priced in since the season ended.