Two contenders in the wild NFC West collide for the second time in five weeks at CenturyLink Field.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Betting Lines
- Seattle is a 3-point favorite on DraftKings
- Seattle is -162 on the ML, Arizona is +140 on DraftKings
- The O/U is 56.5 on DraftKings
Arizona and Seattle are two of the three teams tied atop the NFC West. These two teams are headed in opposite directions as the Cardinals have won four of their last five games while the Seahawks have lost three of four.
This is a monumental game in the pursuit of a division title. Seattle and Arizona produced a classic in their Week 7 matchup. It went into OT with a late Russell Wilson INT paving the way for Cardinals K Zane Gonzalez to kick a game-winning FG.
The Cardinals are as hot as the desert they play in. It took just nine games to reach six wins after finishing with five all of last season. Arizona boasts the top total and rushing offense in the league as well as a top-five scoring offense. QB Kyler Murray has taken a significant step forward in his sophomore season and the addition of WR DeAndre Hopkins paired with a full season of RB Kenyan Drake has certainly been a catalyst for his improvement.
While the offense has soared high in 2020, Arizona’s defense isn’t exactly delaying opposing offenses from taking off as of late. The Cardinals have allowed 30 or more points in three straight games. That being said, they are still top-10 in scoring defense on the season. Murray won his only career start in Seattle and doesn’t have to contend with the 12th man on Thursday night.
QB Russell Wilson and the offense carry Seattle. Wilson has been the frontrunner for MVP all season but his stock has slipped a bit over the past few weeks thanks to multiple INTs in three of the last four games. The Seahawks lost all three of those games. That stretch includes a 3-INT performance against the Cardinals. RB Chris Carson has missed the last three games and his absence has been quite evident. The Seahawks running backs have averaged 61 yards per game over those three games. Seattle could use a 12th man on defense because the 11 players on that side of the ball haven’t done much in terms of stopping the opposition. Seattle ranks last in total and pass defense as well as 28th in scoring defense.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Key Stats
- The all-time series is tied 21-21-1
- QB Kyler Murray is eighth in rushing yards (604) and second in rushing TDs (10)
- QB Russell Wilson is 52-16 at home (4-0 this season)
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Predictions
This should be another fun one in what has become a must-see matchup. I expect this to be another close game for these two teams. 11 of the combined 18 games Arizona and Seattle have played this season were decided by single digits. It would be surprising to see Russell Wilson throw three INTs again. The game could come down to a field goal as it did a few weeks ago or whichever team can get a stop. The Seahawks’ chances of winning increases if Carson plays and is healthy enough to handle a normal workload. Seattle also needs to protect Wilson as he’s been sacked 11 times over the past two games and has seemingly been running for his life. Meanwhile, Kyler Murray has thrived against opposing pass rushes and has been able to rack up rushing yards in bunches. The underdog has covered in every TNF game except for one.
This O/U is one of the easier ones for me to predict so far this season. This game features two high-scoring offenses and two defenses that have given up a bunch of points recently. Additionally, these teams combined for 71 points the last time they played. I expect Arizona and Seattle to fly past the 56.5-point line.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks Pick
Josh’s Overall NFL Record: 25-16
Josh’s TNF Spread Record: 4-4
Josh’s TNF O/U Record: 4-4
