It was bound to happen. The Arizona Cardinals lost their first game of the season after falling to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.
Arizona had a chance to win it, but miscommunication between quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver A.J. Green led to a heartbreaking interception in the end zone with seconds left.
The Cardinals join the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers at the top of the NFC standings with a 7-1 record. But now they travel to San Francisco in Week 9 to face division rivals, the 49ers. And they could be without Kyler Murray…
| LV Raiders vs NO Saints | Moneyline | Point Spread | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LV Raiders | +130 | +3.0 (-115) | O 43.0 (-110) |
| NO Saints | -154 | -3.0 (-105) | U 43.0 (-110) |
*Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbooks. Receive $50 in bonus bets when you deposit $5 through our exclusive offer.
The NFC West Matchup
Arizona has already played the 49ers, beating them at home in Week 5. With the 49ers winning on Halloween against the Bears, they are slowly but surely creeping up on the Cardinals in the NFC West.
Since the Rams are also 7-1, every game is crucial for the Cards if they want to stay on top of the division. Which is a good strategy considering the NFC is an extremely tough division with the top five teams in the league coming from that conference. So, getting a wild card spot is going to be difficult. It is best for the Cards to focus on winning the division to guarantee a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Luckily, the Cards also have a win over the Rams from Week 4.
Odds To Win The NFC West By DraftKings
- Arizona Cardinals: -120
- Los Angeles Rams: +100
- San Francisco 49ers: +3500
- Seattle Seahawks: +3500
The odds for this game are not available (nfl, betmgm)
AZ Cardinals Preview (7-1)
Not only did the Cardinals lose to the Packers in Week 8, but the team was also hit with injuries. DeAndre Hopkins looked to be struggling with a hamstring injury after tweaking it early on in the game and was taken out in the first half. He did return to the game, but without getting the green light. So, this will be an injury to keep an eye on from day to day.
The biggest concern is Kyler Murray, who left the stadium that evening in a boot. The word on the street is that Murray is suffering from a sprained ankle, which could sideline him anywhere from one to three weeks. Kliff Kingsbury made it clear that even if Murray doesn’t practice all week, he could still play on Sunday. Looks like we won’t really know until game time.
Murray getting injured is no surprise. He got beat up in Week 7 against the Texans and had some big hits against Green Bay. It was only a matter of time before Murray would get injured. He either needs more protection or fewer plays involving him running all around. The roster is stacked with plenty of all-star running backs and wide receivers to do that.
To add some salt to the wound, J.J. Watt missed Week 8 and is expected to miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The good news? Chandler Jones and Zach Allen are back after missing Week 6 and Week 7 due to COVID.
With all of these injuries looming over the Cardinals, this division game could be tougher than it should be.
San Fran 49ers Preview (3-4)
The 49ers have been somewhat of a disappointment this year. They struggled last year, but that was mainly due to injuries. ASU alumni and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was on fire last season but hasn’t done much this season. If the Cardinals play their best defense, they will be able to stop the offense with no problem.
Especially with San Francisco ranking 30th in the league when it comes to converting on third downs. Plus, their pass protection is weak. Jimmy Garoppolo may have had an impressive game against the Bears, but the Bears’ defense is nothing like Arizona’s.
San Francisco beat the Bears on Halloween 33 to 22. Garoppolo threw for 322 yards and no interceptions. He also had two rushing TDs. Elijah Mitchell had 137 rushing yards and 1 TD. But Arizona should be able to stop the run better than the Bears.
One piece of the offense that could be a threat is Deebo Samuel. He had 171 receiving yards in only 6 receptions. The 49ers finished the game with a whopping 467 yards. Arizona’s defense can’t let the 49ers put up that many yards if the Cardinals want a W.
Even though I think the defense will be able to keep the offense quiet, I am not so sure if our offense is strong enough right now to get the win. Nick Bosa on the defense may be a problem for the quarterback, which is another reason why Murray might not play, to avoid even more injury.
My concern is that the 49ers have improved since Week 5 where the Cardinals haven’t. If anything, they are worse off due to injuries. Because of that, I think the Cardinals are too beat up to pull off a W and as much as it kills me, I am going with the 49ers in this game.
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