Staff Predictions: Cardinals Heavy Favorites vs Seahawks

The Arizona Cardinals could gain a massive win in the NFC West this week.

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) pushes away Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks (56) during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 7, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are fresh off their bye week and will hit the road for a pivotal NFC West showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Cardinals sit atop the division at 6-4 while all other remaining teams - including Seattle - are just behind at 5-5.

Needless to say, it's going to be a tight race down to the final week, and Sunday's battle at Lumen Field could go a long way in determining who could win the division.

Our predictions:

Donnie Druin - Off a bye week and four-game winning streak, has any of Arizona’s magic stalled since the last time they stepped on the field? A tough road test in Seattle awaits, and both sides are well aware of how big this game is. The Cardinals - even slightly - are the better team at this point in time, and I trust them to get another road victory. AZ 23, SEA 21

Kyler Burd - Sometimes, the vibes are just right and the Cardinals in their second year under head coach Jonathan Gannon have good vibes. Kyler Murray is playing great football and getting the type of protection from the offensive line that he has been lacking the past five seasons. The defense is playing way above its on-paper talent level and young draft picks have continued to improve on a weekly basis. On the road in Seattle, for some odd reason, usually turns out a Cardinals victory and I see no reason to believe they won’t notch their fifth win in a row. AZ 32, SEA 21

Alex D’Agostino - The Seattle Seahawks have momentum after beating the 49ers. Yes, JG, it exists. They also have a knack for winning at the most critical moments, while the Cardinals, historically, have not. A win on Sunday puts Arizona in a very favorable spot in the division, and gives them an advantage over the pesky Seahawks, and I don’t (yet) trust them to deliver coming off a bye week, especially in the purgatory that is Lumen Field. Geno Smith might not be the best quarterback in the division, but it feels like he hasn’t missed a deep ball since 2021, and Seattle’s pass catchers play a more physical brand of football than Arizona’s young DBs will be ready for. Expect plenty of penalty yards in the secondary, and for Smith to carve Arizona up over the middle, and that’s not even counting what Kenneth Walker will be able to do to this run defense on the ground. That, plus a Seattle defense that is sneaky good, if not borderline elite when healthy, creates the worst matchup out of all the Cardinals’ division opponents. In true Cards-Hawks fashion, it’ll probably be an ugly contest with a close score, but it won’t feel close. I predict Kyler Murray’s sloppiest, most turnover-prone game of the year if James Conner can’t bowl Seattle over, with the Seahawks doing whatever they want in the pass game. AZ 20, SEA 27

Jack London - Did someone say good vibes? I personally have not ever had as good of vibes around this team - even in the 2015 season where they were one game away - since the 2008 season. Are the Cardinals more talented than Seattle? Probably not. But coaching matters and better quarterbacks win games they shouldn't. Right now Kyler is a better quarterback than Geno. Period. That should make all the difference. AZ 34 SEA 28

Kevin Hicks - This is arguably the biggest game of the season to this point for the Cardinals - it feels like with each passing week the magnitude of the game grows substantially. A Cardinals win coupled with losses from both San Francisco and Los Angeles would give the hometown team a pretty commanding lead in the division along with inching towards having most of the procedural tiebreakers. As for the game, Seattle’s offense is as inconsistent as they come. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet form a solid tandem in the RB room. They have a very talented WR core. Geno Smith and the o-line could make the difference in this game - especially with how Nick Rallis has had the unit playing as of late. Expect James Conner to have a great day and for Smith to make a fatal mistake that gives the Cards a convincing victory. AZ 30, SEA 17