NFC West Odds: Cardinals Are Longshots at Arizona Sportsbooks
Arizona sports betting is live, which means it’s time to preview NFC West Odds! Can NFL bettors count on the Cardinals or will it be yet another disappointing season in the desert?
I’ve discussed the Arizona Cardinals ad nauseum over the past few days. During that span, I have broken down everything from Kyler Murray’s MVP chances—to Kliff Kingsbury’s Coach of the Year odds—to a game-by-game season schedule preview. So, let’s just say, I know a lot about this team, and I’m excited to finally be able to watch the Cardinals play next weekend.
Today, I’d like to detail Arizona’s odds to win the NFC West, which has become a tall task over the past decade. The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers have all been among the top tiers of the NFL for the better part of the 21st century, and winning has basically become synonymous with those three franchises. As such, it won’t be an easy feat for Arizona to catapult to the top of the NFC West, just three short years after Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray resuscitated the Cardinals from a 3-13 2018 record.
But as one of my favorite athletes of all time Kevin Garnett once said, anything is possible. And this team has the coaching prowess from Kingsbury and D coordinator Vance Joseph, the superstar franchise players in Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Budda Baker, and J.J. Watt, and solid depth across every layer of its roster.
Hey, it could happen—and as I detailed in my recent schedule preview (in which I picked the winner in each of the Cardinals’ 17 regular-season games), I like Arizona to finish 10-7 this season. Maybe that won’t win the division, but it should at least get Kingsbury and Murray in the NFL Playoffs for the first time in their respective pro careers.
Let’s take a proper look at Arizona’s odds of winning the NFC West, and dive into which teams I think are the best bets (and best values) to actually take down the division.
NFC West Odds: Cardinals 6-1 at AZ Sportsbooks
Arizona Cardinals
Odds to Win NFC West in 2021: +600 (longest odds in the division)
2020 Regular Season Record: 8-8, third in the division
Notable Additions: DE J.J. Watt (free agent), WR A.J. Green (free agent), RB James Conner (free agent), C Rodney Hudson (trade), LB Zaven Collins (draft), WR Rondale Moore (draft), K Matt Prater (free agent)
Notable Losses: CB Patrick Peterson, RB Kenyan Drake, LB Haason Reddick, TE Dan Arnold
The Cardinals have the longest odds to win the NFC West, but they also represent the best value bet in the division—and it’s not even close. Arizona has steadily improved in each of the first two years of Kingsbury’s tenure, and Murray made a giant leap from gadget rookie QB to Pro Bowl signal-caller in one short season. The Cardinals proved they can hang with the best in the NFL—beating teams like the Seahawks, Bills, and Patriots. They have as good a shot as anyone in this division, if a few chips fall in their favor along the way.
The obvious advantage to Arizona’s entire system is Murray, the 2018 No. 1 pick who can seemingly make the impossible possible. He can sprint past five different defenders on a QB draw or scramble, launch 55-yard game-winning Hail Mary darts to DeAndre Hopkins, or rifle a laser through a tight window into the end zone. He’s fascinating to watch, and he will always give his team a fighting chance if he’s healthy and active. He helped the Cards win five of their first seven games in 2020, but they only won three more the rest of the season due to his accumulated wear and tear.
Murray will be joined again by perennial All-Pro receiver “(player-popup #deandre-hopkins)DeAndre Hopkins”:/players/deandre-hopkins-16563—one of the top pass-catchers in the game of football—as well as seven-time Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green. Arizona also drafted Rondale Moore, who should be a marked improvement in the recently-departed “(player-popup #andy-isabella)Andy Isabella”:/players/andy-isabella-982789’s role as speedy slot man. Dual-threat running back Chase Edmonds will man the RB1 role, while veteran James Conner comes in at a discount to back Edmonds up. The O-line remains strong in the pass-blocking department, but needs to improve its run-blocking.
Defensively, the Cardinals have added considerable depth as well. J.J. Watt brings his Hall of Fame resume to Glendale, and he should be a good complement to fellow pass-rusher Chandler Jones. The Cards will miss linebacker Haason Reddick and cornerback Patrick Peterson, but the addition of Zaven Collins and multiple defensive backs in the NFL Draft should soften those blows. Budda Baker continues to dominate the free safety position, and should be a good leader for the otherwise-young Arizona secondary.
The Cardinals’ defense still has quite a few question marks, especially in pass defense. And the success of Arizona’s offense depends almost entirely on Murray’s health. If Joseph’s secondary can improve, and Murray can stay upright while improving his passing numbers, this could be a worthwhile team to bet in the Futures market. At +600, it’s extremely tempting to at least put $150 on the Cards for the chance to win a grand.
Los Angeles Rams
Odds to Win NFC West: +200
2020 Regular Season Record: 10-6, second in the division
Notable Additions: QB Matthew Stafford (trade), RB Sony Michel (trade), WR DeSean Jackson (free agent), WR Tutu Atwell (draft), LB Ernest Jones (draft), DE Earnest Brown IV (draft), RB Jake Funk (draft), DC Raheem Morris
Notable Losses: QB Jared Goff, S John Johnson, CB Troy Hill, DL Samson Ebukam, TE Gerald Everett, RB Malcolm Brown, DC
The biggest obstacle in the Cardinals’ quest to the NFC West crown will most likely be the Rams. Perennially the best defensive unit in the NFL, LA has now also made a few formidable additions to its offensive depth chart. The most notable upgrade over the offseason was at QB, where longtime Lion Matthew Stafford will take over the reins for Jared Goff after they swapped places.
Stafford will enjoy a receiving corps of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, DeSean Jackson, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, and tight end Tyler Higbee. If that’s not impressive enough, he also has running backs Darrell Henderson, Jr., Sony Michel, and Jake ‘Bring Da’ Funk at his disposal.
The Rams made the playoffs for years despite middling quarterback play, so it will be fun to see what they can do now that Stafford’s in town. One thing’s for sure—the best defense in the league will be as motivated as ever. Perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald, who has won Defensive Player of the Year honors in three of the past four seasons, remains the best player on the planet. Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams are the best cornerback tandem in the game. And safety Jordan Fuller has been fantastic as LA’s defensive signal-caller.
I usually don’t advise going with the chalk in Futures betting, but LA is as strong as a division favorite can be. If the Cardinals don’t win the division, it’s more than likely the Rams will be the reason.
Seattle Seahawks
Odds to Win NFC West: +280
2020 Regular Season Record: 12-4, first in the division
Notable Additions: CB Akhello Witherspoon (free agent), TE Gerald Everett (free agent),
RG Gabe Jackson (trade), EDGE Kerry Hyder Jr. (free agent), DT Al Woods (free agent), DE Aldon Smith (free agent), CB Pierre Desir (free agent), DT Robert Nkemdiche (free agent), WR D’Wayne Eskridge (draft), CB Tre Brown (draft), OC Shane Waldron
Notable Losses: RB Carlos Hyde, WR Phillip Dorsett, CB Shaquill Griffin, TE Stephen Sullivan, WR David Moore, TE Jacob Hollister, DT Jarran Reed, CB Quinton Dunbar, OC Brian Schottenheimer
Powered by veteran QB Russell Wilson, the Seahawks have a high-flying offense nearly every season—and the emergence of super-athletic receiver DK Metcalf last season seems almost unfair. Seattle went 12-4 last season, and looks as strong as ever if it can stay healthy offensively. But the rest of the NFC West has improved since last year, the Seahawks’ defensive unit remains a major question mark, and Seattle failed to reel in much via free agency in the offseason.
Wilson has already publicly praised new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, formerly the QB guru in the Rams system. If Wilson, Metcalf, veteran receiver Tyler Lockett, and running back Chris Carson stay off the injury lists, the Seahawks offense will be tough to outscore. But if Seattle’s defense can’t improve dramatically—and the rest of the division continues to evolve—it could be a disappointing season for Pete Carroll’s boys. I’d pass on the +280 here—it feels like a low-value bet in a highly-competitive field.
San Francisco 49ers
Odds to Win NFC West +190
2020 Regular Season Record: 6-10
Notable Additions: QB Trey Lance (draft), C Alex Mack (free agent), EDGE Samson Ebukam (free agent), LB MyChal Kendricks (free agent), WR Mohamed Sanu (free agent), G Aaron Banks (draft), RB Trey Sermon (draft), CB Ambry Thomas (draft), DC DeMeco Ryans
Notable Losses: DE Solomon Thomas, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, WR Kendrick Bourne, RB Tevin Coleman, EDGE Kerry Hyder Jr., RB Jerick McKinnon, DC Robert Saleh
The 49ers are once again one of the more exciting young teams in football, I’m just not so sure they will experience success right out of the gate. First-round draft pick Trey Lance should be electric once he gets settled in as the weekly QB—whenever that will be—and rookie running back Trey Sermon looks promising as a complement to Raheem Mostert, as well. With tight end George Kittle back to full health (for now), and the high-flying receiving duo of Deebo Samuel and Bradon Aiyuk, there’s a lot to look forward to in San Fran.
Of course, the Niners continue to boast one of the better defensive units in the NFL. Pass-rusher Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner, and safety Jimmie Ward are each among the best at their respective positions. Will DeMeco Ryans get the best of his squad just like Robert Saleh did for so many years?
That’s probably the lone question on defense, but several questions exist on the offensive side of things. Paramount among the questions is the quarterback position. The conundrum for Kyle Shanahan is clear: should he give Lance the keys from the jump, so the rookie can adapt and evolve as soon as possible; or should he go with the veteran, experienced Jimmy Garoppolo, who has a higher short-term floor but lower long-term ceiling?
A team with that many question marks in a tight division should not have the best odds to win it. Stay away from San Fran, folks—this is a sucker’s bet targeted at Trey Lance fanboys. The real value in this division is with Arizona, and to a lesser extent, Los Angeles.
mage Credit: Imagn