Betting Matchup Preview
Game Details
- Who: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
- When: Sunday, Oct. 16 (Week 6)
- Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Where: Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington)
Betting Odds Summary
- Spread: Cardinals -2.5 (-110), Seahawks +2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Cardinals -145, Seahawks +120
- Total: Over/Under 50.5 (-110/-110)
Note: Odds and lines are current at the time of writing and subject to change.
The Arizona Cardinals are 2-3 but have been unlucky to start the season. The Cardinals have faced an extremely tough schedule as their three losses have come to the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks have played five of the most entertaining NFL games this season. The Seahawks’ offense is excellent, while the defense is poor, making for many high-action affairs.
Arizona is a 2.5-point road favorite against Seattle on Sunday. Kliff Kingsbury is notorious for losing games as a favorite, but can we trust Pete Carroll’s defense?
There are plenty of different ways to bet on this game, and we’ll recommend our best bets for this NFC West divisional matchup.
Spread, Moneyline, Total: Cardinals vs. Seahawks
We must stop disrespecting Seattle.
The Seahawks have arguably the No. 1 offense in the NFL. Geno Smith has transformed Seattle into the most lethal passing attack in the NFL, ranking third in net yards per passing attempt (7.4).
The Seahawks’ offensive line blocks well, the ground game has been effective, and the deep passing game is working with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Seattle’s defense is the problem. No team has allowed more total yards than the Seahawks this season, and only the Detroit Lions have conceded more points.
But Arizona’s defense isn’t much better. The Cardinals are especially weak in the secondary, ranking near the bottom of the league. Arizona’s cornerbacks are very poor, which will prove costly against Seattle’s electric receiving corps.
But Kyler Murray should also take advantage of his opponent’s poor defense.
We’re not so sure. Murray and the Cardinals’ offense have been poor from an efficiency standpoint, ranking 30th in net yards per passing attempt and 19th in yards per rushing attempt.
Both defenses are mediocre, but the Seahawks have the better offense, which is why we like Seattle as the underdog in this game.
Moreover, it’s profitable to fade Kingsbury in these spots. Arizona is just 8-14 against the spread as a favorite underneath Kingsbury and just 1-3 ATS as a division favorite.
Meanwhile, it’s profitable to back Carroll and Smith in their spot. Seattle is 43-28-3 against the spread as an underdog and 17-10 ATS as a division underdog underneath Carroll. Starting quarterback Smith is 17-10 ATS as an underdog as a starting quarterback in his career.
We don’t know why books are undervaluing Seattle or overvaluing Arizona. Either way, it makes for a good betting opportunity, and a $100 bet on the Seahawks +2.5 would pay out $90.
Our Pick: Seattle Seahawks +2.5 (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook
Player Prop Bets: Cardinals vs. Seahawks
- Geno Smith Over 10.5 Rush Yards (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook
Smith is more of a pure pocket passer but has flashed athleticism in recent weeks. Smith has run for 62 yards over the past two weeks, averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
The Cardinals will rush the quarterback, as they blitz at the second-highest rate in the league (41.7%). Arizona constantly blitzed against Philadelphia and Las Vegas, and both Jalen Hurts and Derek Carr went over their rush yards in the game by scrambling.
Smith can easily pick up rushing yards if forced to scramble.
We’ve seen projections that put Smith closer to 15 rush yards on Sunday, making this prop bet a good value play at 10.5.
Our Same-Game Parlay
Our Cardinals vs. Seahawks same-game parlay (+570 at FanDuel Sportsbook) is as follows:
- Seattle Seahawks +2.5 (-104)
- Over 50.5 Total Points (-106)
- Seattle Seahawks 1st Half +0.5 (-105)
- 1st Half Over 24.5 Total Points (-110)
We expect Seattle to win this game. We also expect the Seahawks to win wire-to-wire. Seattle is second in the NFL in EPA per play in the first half, while Arizona is 31st, meaning Smith’s offense should take an early lead, and we don’t expect them to surrender it.
But Seattle is also last in the NFL in first-half EPA per play allowed. As mentioned, both defenses are lackluster, and we expect both offenses to score early and often. Both the first-half over and the full game over could hit with ease.
We can cash in on this substantial same-game parlay if the game plays out as anticipated. At +474 odds, a $100 winning bet on this parlay would pay out $474 in profits plus your original stake back.
