2021 Arizona Cardinals And Kyler MVP Odds

The 2020 Arizona Cardinals started hot, racing to a 6-3 start. As San Francisco crumbled under mounting injuries, Kyler Murray and company looked assured of their first playoff berth since 2015. Unfortunately, Murray suffered an ankle injury and while he gamely fought on, it hampered his electric speed that confounded defenses. It also didn’t help that the Arizona defense only managed to hold opposing offenses to less than 26 points four times in their last ten games. Nevertheless, their 8-8 finish showed encouraging growth from the previous year’s 5-10-1 finish.

Murray MVP & Cardinal NFC Championship Odds

DraftKings Sportsbook gave Murray +2000 odds to win next year’s MVP award. That ties him for the 8th most likely contender. Fanduel Sportsbook, on the other hand, also slated the Cardinals as the 8th most likely team to win the NFC Championship at +1800. Let’s review some of their offseason moves to determine the likelihood of those sports betting odds. 

Familiar Face, New Place

This offseason, the Cardinal brain trust went with proven options on the tail end of their careers. Just about every football fan will recognize the names J.J. Watt, A.J. Green, James Conner, and Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler (that’s his legal full name now) among the roster additions. 

Whether or not those players regain the form that made them household names will go a long way in deciding Arizona’s success or lack thereof. BetRivers Sportsbook put the Cardinal wins O/U at 8 (Over -134, Under +110), which weirdly appears to be their magic number for the upcoming season. It’s also important to remember that the upcoming season will feature a 17 game regular season schedule. Their “to make the playoffs” odds are +190 for YES and -240 for NO. 

Most Difficult Division In Football

The most damning case against the Cardinals is pretty obvious: the NFC West looks like a murderous row. The 49ers and Rams reloaded with championship-level rosters on both sides of the ball, while the Seahawks still employ a man by the name of Russell Wilson. Based on opponents’ winning percentage from last year, the Cardinals will face the 13th toughest schedule in the league. It’s probably by only a hair but we like the value of +110 for under 8 wins. 

About the Author

Kellar Ellsworth

Born and raised in Hawaii, Kellar Ellsworth’s lived the digital nomad life for a number of years. As a giant NFL and NBA fan, he’s lived a blessed sports life rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers, San Fransisco Giants & 49ers.