The Arizona Cardinals kick off its season at home with a Murray and Mahomes matchup. Early Chiefs vs. Cardinals betting odds available on Arizona sports betting apps have the Cardinals as the underdogs in Week 1 as they take on one of the toughest teams in the league.
Since Arizona sports betting launched right in time for the NFL season last year, this will be the second year for bettors to get a chance to wager on the Cardinals’ first game of the season.
Chiefs Vs. Cardinals Betting Odds
The Chiefs are a 3-point favorite at sportsbooks like DraftKings Arizona and FanDuel Arizona. Last season, Kansas City was 10-10 ATS and 14-6 SU, including regular and postseason games. Arizona was 10-8 ATS and 11-7 SU.
| Arizona Sportsbook | Point Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Arizona +6 Kansas City -6 | Arizona +200 Kansas City -240 | Under 54 Over 54 |
| Caesars | Arizona +6 Kansas City -6 | Arizona +205 Kansas City -250 | Under 53.5 Over 53.5 |
| BetMGM | Arizona +6 Kansas City -6 | Arizona +200 Kansas City -250 | Under 53.5 Over 53.5 |
| BetRivers | Arizona +5.5 Kansas City -5.5 | Arizona +210 Kansas City -245 | Under 53.5 Over 53.5 |
| FanDuel | Arizona +5.5 (-110) Kansas City -5.5 (+110) | Arizona +205 Kansas City -250 | Under 53.5 Over 53.5 |
Cardinals Looking To Repeat Strong Start
The Cardinals started off with a promising 7-0 record last season, but due to injuries and inconsistent play, they fell to an 11-6 record. They were then eliminated quickly from the playoffs after a horrendous performance in the NFC Wild Card game against the Super Bowl Champions Los Angeles Rams. Kyler Murray had a less than stellar performance with 137 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions.
It might be a struggle for the Red Birds to get off to a hot start again due to star WR DeAndre Hopkins’ six-game PED suspension. The good news for the offense is the addition of WR Marquise Brown, who was Murray’s top target in college at Oklahoma. The Cardinals gave up their 23rd overall draft pick to the Ravens to acquire him.
Arizona’s starting lineup for week 1 will most likely have Murray at QB and James Conner at RB with help from Arizona State alum Eno Benjamin. With Hopkins out, Brown will get a chance to make his AZ debut, and WRs A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, and Antoine Wesley will also most likely hit the field. TE Zach Ertz and rookie Trey McBride will also be targeted by Murray.
This will be the first time we get to see how the Arizona defense will look without Chandler Jones.
Chiefs Ready To Bounce Back
Kansas City ended its season with a tough loss in the AFC Championship Game, killing the team’s hopes of a third straight Super Bowl appearance.
Now with a new offense and improved defense (thanks to an impressive draft), the Chiefs are looking to bounce back. This will be their first game without leading WR Tyreek Hill, but Mahomes has plenty of new weapons with the addition of wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, along with rookie Skyy Moore.
This will be the first time Mahomes plays against Murray and his former Texas Tech coach, Kliff Kingsbury. Mahomes is 1-0 against Arizona after defeating them back in 2018 in Kansas City, prior to Murray and Kingsbury joining the Cardinals in 2019.
Kliff Kingsbury said Patrick Mahomes sent him the 👀 emoji before the schedule even came out, so Kingsbury knows Mahomes is looking forward to the Week 1 Cardinals-Chiefs game. pic.twitter.com/cBwh17GQ8P
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) May 13, 2022
We will get to see what Mahomes and the new offense have in store without Hill and how the Arizona defense will respond.
Cardinals Season Win Total Odds
| Arizona Sportsbook | Regular Season Wins | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | 7.5 | -140 | +120 |
| Caesars | 7.5 | -140 | +118 |
| BetMGM | 7.5 | -145 | +120 |
| BetRivers | 7.5 | -155 | +127 |
| FanDuel | 7.5 | -145 | +125 |
According to DraftKings, Arizona ranks second when it comes to strength of schedule. The Cardinals will have to face the Super Bowl champions twice this season. They will also be playing their division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in an international game in Mexico, but their most difficult test this season will be playing against the brutal AFC West.
The success of their season will come down to a few things. Will RB James Conner have another big year? Will their second-round draft pick Trey McBride have a breakout year? Will Murray and Brown still have the connection they had in college? And most importantly, can the team keep its injuries under control?
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