NFC West Betting Preview: 49ers still the favorite, Cardinals’ odds make them an interesting sleeper
The Cardinals made the shrewdest move of the offseason when they acquired DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans. Hopkins has been a first-team All-Pro receiver in each of the past three seasons, so it was stunning that the Cardinals only needed to give up injury-prone David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, and make a fourth-round pick swap to land him. His addition will immediately give Kyler Murray a true No. 1 receiver, and Hopkins has the potential to post even better numbers in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Unlike last season when Arizona was one of the longest shots on the board to win the Super Bowl and its division, the Cardinals have +700 odds to win the NFC West and are +5000 to win the Super Bowl in 2020.
Previewing the Cardinals
It was all about growth for Arizona in 2019. The Cardinals had a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach in Murray and Kingsbury, but they managed to show some explosiveness and promise for the future with an offense that finished in the middle of the pack in terms of yards and points.
Murray showed why he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft despite being an undersized quarterback. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,722 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt even though Arizona played in the toughest division in the league. Another year of development under Kingsbury should lead to Murray being even better in 2020, and he now has some real weapons at the skill positions.
Hopkins is a marked upgrade over what the Cardinals had last season. The ageless Larry Fitzgerald led the team in receiving with 75 receptions for 804 yards and four touchdowns, but the future Hall-of-Famer can no longer be expected to be a No. 1 receiver at the age of 37. Christian Kirk was unable to become a true difference maker, as well, but both Fitzgerald and Kirk will benefit from Hopkins receiving most of the attention as Arizona’s top receiver.
Additionally, it didn’t take long for Kingsbury to realize that Johnson wouldn’t work in his system. Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds ended the season as Arizona’s top two running backs, and their agility is more in line with what Kingsbury likes to run in his modified Air Raid offense. Drake and Edmonds are likely to be better in 2020 with more time in this system.
The big concern for the Cardinals is on defense. Aside from Chandler Jones and Patrick Peterson, there are no real playmakers on this side of the ball. Budda Baker has shown some potential at safety, but the biggest issues are in the front seven. Terrell Suggs had the second-most sacks (5.5 sacks) despite being 37, and no other player aside from Jones finished with more than three sacks. Arizona allowed 4.4 YPC on the ground, so the team is hoping free agent signings Jordan Phillips and De’Vondre Campbell can fix those woes.
NFC West Opponents
Despite being on an upward trajectory, Arizona is projected to finish at the bottom of the NFC West again per the oddsmakers. The Cardinals have the misfortune of playing in a division that is loaded with talent, so their season win total is listed at 7.5 wins.
San Francisco is the odds-on favorite to win the NFC West after nearly knocking off Kansas City in last year’s Super Bowl. The 49ers still have an elite defense, a strong power run game, and a solid quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, so they are currently favored in both of their games against the Cardinals next season.
Arizona will likely be more competitive against Seahawks and Rams. The Seahawks surprised many observers by making the playoffs and nearly winning the division over the 49ers last year, but they are destined to fall back down to Earth in 2020. They finished the year with a plus-7 point differential despite an 11-5 record, so they are a prime candidate for regression.
The Rams have had to part ways with numerous playmakers in the offseason. Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews were released, and the team couldn’t afford to keep Dante Fowler Jr. and Cory Littleton after splurging so much on contracts the past few years. They were able to take flyers on veterans like Leonard Floyd and A’Shawn Robinson to keep the defense formidable, but this team no longer looks like a juggernaut.
2020 NFL Win Totals: NFC West
Odds courtesy of BetOnline
Arizona Cardinals
Over 7.5 (-120)
Under 7.5 (+100)
Los Angeles Rams
Over 9 (+115)
Under 9 (-135)
San Francisco 49ers
Over 10.5 (-105)
Under 10.5 (-115)
Seattle Seahawks
Over 9 (-130)
Under 9 (+110)
Odds to Win NFC West
Odds courtesy of BetOnline
San Francisco 49ers (-125)
Seattle Seahawks (+350)
Los Angeles Rams (+400)
Arizona Cardinals (+700)
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