Cardinals Rise as Super Bowl Contenders Following Bounce Back Victory
The Arizona Cardinals set a new franchise record by defeating the San Francisco 49ers decisively in Week 9 on Sunday afternoon.
The team crushed the 49ers on their away game, finishing with a 31-17 victory and boosting their record to 8-1. This accomplishment broke the 1974 St. Louis Cardinals’ franchise record for the quickest team to reach eight wins in a season by one week.
After their loss to Green Bay two weeks ago, the Cardinals have bounced back and are now the clear favorites in online sports betting in Arizona for their upcoming match against the 4-5 Carolina team this Sunday.
The Cardinals will face off against the Panthers at 2:05 p.m. Arizona time on Sunday at State Farm Stadium, with the game broadcasted on FOX.
The Cardinals are heavily favored in Week 9.
BetMGM Arizona, DraftKings Arizona, and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona all have comparable betting odds for Sunday’s game.
As of Monday afternoon, two-thirds of operators are favoring the Cardinals by 10 points in NFL betting against Carolina. DraftKings has Arizona at -9.5. The over/under for total points ranges from 44.5 to 45.5.
If you want to make a moneyline bet on the Cardinals, you can find odds of -550 at BetMGM Arizona, -450 at DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, and -480 at FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona.
The Cardinals’ journey to an 8-1 record
Despite quarterback Kyler Murray being sidelined with an ankle injury, the Cardinals still managed to easily defeat the 49ers. Murray had sustained the injury during the team’s Thursday Night Football loss to Green Bay in Week 8.
Thanks in large part to running back James Conner’s standout performance, Arizona had a successful game in San Francisco, with Conner totaling 96 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Colt McCoy, the backup quarterback, played a crucial role in the victory by passing for 249 yards and a touchdown, completing 22 of 26 pass attempts.
Former Saguaro High School wide receiver Christian Kirk led the Cardinals in receiving yards with 91, while running back Conner also made an impact with 77 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Arizona’s Jordan Hicks made two fumble recoveries while LB Markus Golden’s three sacks helped lead the team to their eighth victory.
Arizona jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, which ended up being the deciding factor in Sunday’s game.
The Cardinals had no trouble beating the 5.5-point spread on Sunday, improving their record to 7-2 against the spread this season.
Cardinals are in the hunt for the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals and Panthers have experienced contrasting results in their recent five games leading up to Sunday’s game.
Carolina has lost four of their last five games, including a 24-6 defeat to New England on Sunday.
The Cardinals have only lost to one opponent this year and have achieved three double-digit wins in their last five games.
Arizona continues to impress, keeping their top position in Super Bowl betting odds. At BetMGM Arizona, the Cardinals are currently ranked fourth with +900 odds to win the championship, sitting behind Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and the L.A. Rams. In terms of reaching the Super Bowl from the NFC, they are in third place with +425 odds, following the Bucs and Rams.
Having Murray back in the lineup on Sunday is crucial for Arizona. Despite his absence in the win against San Francisco due to injury, Murray is still a top contender for the 2021 NFL MVP, with the third-best odds at various sportsbooks in Arizona.
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Author
For more than seven years, Peterson Christopher has been reporting on sports and sports betting in Arizona. His expertise comes from his time at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. Currently, he is the lead writer at yengols.com.
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