In the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals are the two teams that have proven least worthy of your bet on NFL money lines; the Cardinals because of their inconsistency, and the 49ers because of their consistent lack of success. Interestingly enough, both of these ball clubs will be facing off to provide Week 5’s Thursday Night Football.
San Francisco seemed promising enough when they opened the 2016 season by shutting out the Los Angeles Rams. But ever since that game San Fran hasn’t been able to get much going offensively, and has fallen to 1-3. In spite of their lackluster play, the 49ers have still been making headlines. Albeit, for all the wrong reasons. Colin Kaepernick has been at the center of the controversy regarding players’ protest of the national anthem.
Kaepernick may not be the starting quarterback, but the days when he was leading San Francisco in the playoffs don’t seem too far behind. Blaine Gabbert has been starting under center so far this season, but with the way Gabbert has been playing, one has to wonder if Chip Kelly will ever make the switch. Either way, the top sportsbooks are still picking the Cardinals this Thursday, regardless of who the Niners have taking the snaps.
Week 5 – Thursday the 6th of October
Cardinals -2½ (-120) 42 (-110) -125
49ers +2½ (-110) 42 (-110) +106
If you were to wager on this game the totals line might be the one most worth your bet on NFL games. Right now the San Francisco is averaging 22.5 points per game, while the Cardinals are averaging 23. Defensively the 49ers are giving up 26.8 points per game, while on the other side Arizona is giving up 20.0 points per game. With those figures in mind, it’s very likely that the game will exceed 42 points, so picking over on the totals line might not be a half bad idea.
The Cardinals were coming into this year with their heads held high and a good dose of expectations. However, ever since their Week 2 win against the Buccaneers, Arizona has failed to win a game. That includes a loss against the Buffalo Bills and a loss against the Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco actually beat the Rams in their 2016 opener, but the NFL isn’t the sort of place to engage in ‘he beat him so they should beat them’.
Both the Cardinals and the 49ers are currently sitting at 1-3 and both are in desperate need of a turnaround. The NFL season is quickly developing and failing to win on Sunday will put either team in a despairing situation. The odds are convinced the Cardinals should come out on top, but before fans pick them for your bet on NFL money lines, know that Carson Palmer is out with a concussion.
Arizona may have the 7th best passing offense, but that’s only under Palmer’s veteran hand. The Cardinals running offense ranks 15th in the league, and hopefully that will be enough to pick up the slack while Palmer is gone. If it’s not, the Cardinals will have to own up to three consecutive losses.