Al Walsh shares with us his Arizona Cardinals season preview, predictions and best bets for the team ahead of the new season.
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The Arizona Cardinals fell one spot short of making the playoffs last season, losing the tiebreaker at 8-8 to the Chicago Bears. But it wasn’t a lost season altogether, as numerous players made strides under second-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury – the offensive mastermind is now 13-18-1 in those seasons.
Look-In at Roster
One thing Arizona never had was a great wealth of talent. For years, WR Larry Fitzgerald was essentially a solo act, until the team had a one-off year of success and went to Super Bowl XLIII. However, Kingsbury has created a system that players are excited about now.
WR DeAndre Hopkins now has A.J. Green alongside him, in addition to notable receivers like Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore. We already saw what QB Kyler Murray could do with half of those guys last season, so 2021 should be even more exciting for him, Cardinals fans and fantasy owners alike.
On the defensive side of the ball, the biggest addition was clearly DE J.J. Watt. His years of grittiness and playoff experience will undoubtedly get this team over the hump to the next level. CB Patrick Peterson switched his address to Minnesota, leaving a big gap at the position, but the hope is that Malcolm Butler and Byron Murphy Jr. will pick up the slack. FS Budda Baker is one of the best in the game, with his playmaking ability able to change the game at a moment’s notice.
Win Totals for the Season
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Cardinals have a win total that sits at 8.5 this season. Most of the juice is on the under (-125), with the over (+105) presenting a nice plus-money opportunity. In addition, Arizona has +600 odds to win the NFC West, +1800 odds to win the NFC and +4800 to win the Super Bowl. To make the playoffs, the Cardinals have +176 odds, as opposed to -220 not to make it in.
Arizona Cardinals Season Prediction
The Cardinals are certainly a dicey pick to do much in the most competitive division in football. However, it should be noted that their +600 to win the NFC West are the second-best for any team projected to finish last (Philadelphia Eagles: +450 to win NFC East). And to be quite honest with you, I’m not particularly scared of the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams have a new QB in his first year with the team, the 49ers are injury-prone and the Seahawks’ offensive line is one of the worst in football. Add it all up, and the Cardinals have a pretty damn good shot at winning the NFC West, with great odds to boot.
Based on the bets we looked at for the Cardinals, I would cap it right there on the NFC West. They are not going to win the NFC against teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers. Furthermore, they wouldn’t beat the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. Unless of course, Nuk Hopkins catches another last-second Hail Mary touchdown against the Bills like he did last regular season.
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