Kansas City Chiefs vs. Arizona Cardinals Odds, Picks, and Prediction
Chiefs vs. Cardinals Odds
| Chiefs Odds | -6 |
| Cardinals Odds | +6 |
| Over/Under | 54 |
| Date | Sunday, Sept. 11 |
| Time | 4:25 p.m. |
| TV | CBS |
This afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals will open their season at State Farm Stadium. Last season, the Chiefs appeared to be on their way to another Super Bowl appearance, with a 21-3 lead in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but ended up losing in overtime 27-24. The Cardinals started last year 7-0, but struggled down the stretch, and were embarrassed in the NFC Wild Card round by a final score of 34-11. Both teams will be eager to start 2022 on a high note, considering the disappointing end to last year, but oddsmakers are expecting a relatively easy win for Kansas City, pricing them as six point road favorites game on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Kansas City Chiefs
During the offseason, Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins, but his departure will hardly be a death sentence for this offense. In 2021, opposing defensive coordinators seemed to finally figure out how to slow down the Kansas City passing attack – at least a little bit. The result was a career-worst campaign for Patrick Mahomes, who finished with his lowest average depth of target as a professional, in addition to posting career-worst numbers in QBR and interceptions. Still, Mahomes’ worst season saw him finish with a better than league average passer rating from a clean pocket, under pressure, against the blitz, on third down, and in the red zone. The star signal caller possesses elite arm talent and has the mobility to extend plays with his legs. He is further aided by one of the best pass-blocking offensive lines in the NFL, and could benefit from more diversity with his targets – which could make this offense more dangerous than it was in 2021. Facing a weak Arizona secondary unit, Mahomes could feast on Sunday.
Defensively, the Chiefs have the best interior defensive lineman in the AFC, Chris Jones. The veteran has amassed 41 sacks across the last four seasons, with plus-grades against the run as well. After finishing 2021 ranked 31st in opponent rush yards per play, the front office invested in George Karlaftis in the first round of the draft this past summer, who should make an immediate positive impact for this group. Kansas City also drafted Leo Chenal and Trent McDuffie to address key areas of need on this side of the ball heading into 2022. Though the Chiefs lost a pair of sexy names during the offseason, this roster has improved tremendously heading into the new campaign. There is arguably not a more complete team in football than Kansas City.
Arizona Cardinals
From Week 1 to Week 7 last fall, Kyler Murray was near the top of every pundits’ list for the Most Valuable Player award – throwing 17 touchdowns against only five interceptions. However, a mid-season injury derailed his quest for hardware, and his 7-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio upon returning to action did little to help the Cardinals win football games. To begin 2022, Murray will be without his top wideout, DeAndre Hopkins, who is serving a six-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy. The offensive line is also a major concern for Arizona in 2022, with two complete liabilities occupying starting roles – Will Hernandez and Kevin Beachum. Murray will need to be superhuman against an improved Kansas City secondary unit if he wants to give his team an opportunity to win in Week 1.
On the defensive side of the ball, J.J. Watt is listed as questionable with a calf injury after not participating in practice on Friday. Cornerback Byron Murphy is also listed as questionable after an illness held him out of practice on Friday. Cornerback Trayvon Mullen has already been ruled out for this contest with a toe injury. In Mullen’s place, Marco Wilson is likely to see the majority of the snaps out-wide. In roughly 800 snaps as a rookie, he graded 106th out of 115 eligible players at his position in coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus. If Murphy ends up not playing, this game could turn into a rout.
Chiefs vs. Cardinals Pick & Prediction
Despite losing big names, the Chiefs are arguably more talented and more well-rounded than the roster that nearly went to the Super Bowl in 2021. On Sunday, Patrick Mahomes and company should have their way with a Cardinals’ secondary unit missing one (possibly both) of their starting cornerbacks. If J.J. Watt is unable to suit up, Arizona will struggle to put up much resistance of any kind in this matchup. Take Kansas City in this spot.
PICK: Chiefs -6 (-120, BetMGM)
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