Arizona Cardinals Over/Under Wins Total Betting Breakdown

The Cardinals went 11-6 last season but their over/under at SI Sportsbook is just 8.5 wins.

The Cardinals produced an impressive 11-6 record in 2021, beginning the season 7-0 and logging their first winning season since 2015.

However, for the second year in a row, head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s squad suffered a second-half collapse, losing four of its last five games.

AFC East Over/Under Wins Total: BUF | NE | MIA | NYJ | Division Odds
NFC East Over/Under Wins Total: DAL | PHI | WSH | NYG | Division Odds
AFC South Over/Under Wins Total: TEN | IND | HOU | JAX | Division Odds
NFC South Over/Under Wins Total: TB | NO | ATL | CAR | Division Odds
AFC West Over/Under Wins Total: KC | LV | LAC | DEN | Division Odds
NFC West Over/Under Wins Total: LAR | SF | SEA | Division Odds

Ultimately, in the postseason, the No. 5 Cardinals lost 34-11 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Rams in the wild card round.

Can the Cardinals build on last year’s success? Let’s break it down. 

Bet on the NFL at SI Sportsbook

Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Arizona Cardinals Over/Under: 8.5 - O (-125) | U (-111)

2021-2022 record: 11-6; Second NFC West; 5-seed; Lost wild card round at Rams
NFC West future odds: +330 (Third)
NFC future odds: +1400 (Tied-sixth)
Super Bowl future odds: +2500 (Tied-15th)

Key additions: WR Marquise Brown, RB Darrell Williams, TE Trey McBride
Key losses: RB Chase Edmonds, WR Christian Kirk, LB Chandler Jones 

All Cardinals offseason grade: B-

The Cardinals’ approach was panned in many places, but there was a method to their supposed madness. Large contracts weren’t a part of the plan because they did that with Jordan Phillips and linebacker Devon Kennard in 2020 and it wasn’t money well spent. Phillips is gone and Kennard had his deal reduced. With cap space needed soon for quarterback Kyler Murray, Brown, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Jalen Thompson, the goal was to retain tight end Zach Ertz, running back James Conner, linebacker Dennis Gardeck, wide receiver A.J. Green, backup quarterback Colt McCoy and several others, and they were successful. Keeping key players and not creating additional needs is just as important as filling holes in the offseason. An underrated move could be the signing of Hernandez, who coaches hope will add needed physicality to the offensive line. That grade will improve when Murray is signed, which will end the distractions that began shortly after the 2021 season ended with a playoff loss to the Rams.—Howard Balzer

SCHEDULE

Week 1: Chiefs
Week 2: At Raiders
Week 3: Rams
Week 4: At Panthers
Week 5: Eagles
Week 6: At Seahawks
Week 7: Saints
Week 8: At Vikings
Week 9: Seahawks
Week 10: At Rams
Week 11: 49ers
Week 12: Chargers
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: Patriots
Week 15: At Broncos
Week 16: Buccaneers
Week 17: At Falcons
Week 18: At 49ers

The biggest offseason news for the Cardinals was the signing of budding star quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray inked a five-year, $230 million extension that originally included a requirement for four hours of independent study per week before the Cardinals removed the clause after social media got wind of the language and questioned Arizona’s confidence in its young signal-caller.   

After losing Christian Kirk, the Cards added deep threat Marquise “Hollywood” Brown from Baltimore. Brown finished with  91 catches for 1,008 receiving yards and six touchdowns with the Ravens last year in a run-heavy offense. He gets an upgrade at quarterback as far as completion rate with  Murray (69.2% - second best-in the NFL), and he joins an offense that posted the 10th-most passing yards per game (251.5).

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Quarterback Props Series: Passing Yards | Passing TD | Brady | Herbert | Allen

James Conner emerged as a bonafide threat last season, combining for 1,127 all-purpose yards and a whopping 18 touchdowns. With Chase Edmonds now playing for the Dolphins, will Conner continue to dominate the backfield?

Zach Ertz remains in Arizona after finishing strong in 2021 with the Cardinals. Ertz averaged nearly 11 targets per game across the last four contests.

DeAndre Hopkins will miss the first six games of the season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. The Cardinals struggled in their final four games without Hopkins last year, but perhaps the addition of Brown will help fill in the gap. Hopkins returning midseason may help the Cardinals finish on a high note, though last season he didn’t put up the flashy numbers we were expecting.

Let’s dive in.

Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Beginning with the NFC West, the Cardinals will face the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers twice. Last year, the Cardinals beat the 49ers twice and split with both the Rams and Seahawks. I think the Cardinals can at least split each series this year.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams are due for a few letdown games, the Niners are still questionable with Trey Lance under center and the Seahawks are setting up to be one of the weaker teams in the league. I’ll give the Cardinals four wins within the division. 

Arizona’s other NFC games feature road games against the Panthers, Vikings and Falcons and home tilts against the Eagles, Saints and Buccaneers. The Cardinals should be able to beat the Panthers and the Falcons and likely also can beat the Vikings, but I will give them two wins on the road. That brings us to six.

With home-field advantage, the Cardinals should be able to defeat the Eagles and the Saints, even if they can’t defeat the NFC-favorite Buccaneers. My total is at eight wins.

Finally, the Cardinals have AFC matchups with the Chiefs, Chargers and Patriots at home and they travel to face the Broncos and Raiders.

The Cardinals should defeat the Patriots and Mac Jones, though the AFC West matchups will be much tougher. However, I will give the Cardinals at least one of the contests against the Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders, and the wins total is at 10.

Running Back Props Series: Rushing Yards | Rushing TD | Taylor | CMC | Ekeler

With all eyes on the newly signed quarterback, Murray has a lot to prove and I think he plays like he’s on a mission. Getting Hopkins back midseason should help with tough matchups like Denver, Tampa Bay and the Chargers down the stretch. Brown and second-year receiver Rondale Moore can help bring this team to another level if all goes as planned, and the Cardinals should easily be set for another winning season.  

Perhaps my favorite bet is not the win total, though. If the Cardinals can deliver another winning season, why not also take 4-1 odds that they win the NFC West? The Rams could have a Super Bowl hangover and the Lance experiment is only just beginning in San Francisco. I see a pathway to the division title and I like the payout. 

BET: Over 8.5 wins (-125)
Extra Bet: NFC West (+400)

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