NFL Odds – Seahawks Look to Pick Up Road Win at Arizona
For those who like to evaluate the NFL odds, the Seattle Seahawks sometimes appear like a different team on the road then they are at home. But the possibility exists that they might have the right opponent in front of them with the Arizona Cardinals, who they’ll line up against at 8:25 PM ET at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.
Seattle, which is +550 to win the Super Bowl in NFL futures betting, sits atop the NFC West at the moment, with a 5-1 record, while Arizona is even at 3-3.
In the NFL odds that have been posted on this game, the Seahawks are the clear favorites:
Seattle Seahawks -5
Arizona Cardinals +5
Over 40.5 Points -110
Under 40.5 Points -110
When it comes to the scheduling situation, the Seahawks would be at a disadvantage, since they have to travel for this game on a short week. So there isn’t any time to prepare. But how much do they have to really prepare for these Redbirds (is that politically incorrect?), who don’t have an offense that seems very difficult to figure out. They turn the ball over on a little more than 20% of their drives, and Carson Palmer in particular has been the mistake-prone one, throwing eleven interceptions already. To put that in perspective for NFL odds bettors, that projects to a total that is just shy of 30.
The Cardinals (the +190 underdogs in the BetAnySports money line) were hoping to create a running game this season; that was part of new head coach Bruce Arians’ plan. He didn’t have a whole lot last year while he was the interim coach at Indianapolis, but the Cards went out and acquired Rashard Mendenhall, who spearheaded the Steelers’ running attack when he was healthy. Well, Mendenhall has been underwhelming, and NFL bettors have noticed (3.3 ypc).
But a different asset has emerged. Rookie Andre Ellington IS overwhelming when it comes to his speed, and he is averaging seven yards a carry in the spot action he’s had. He has also added 18 receptions to his overall contribution.
The Arizona defense has done a good job of keeping the team in games, holding opponents to 3.5 yards a rushing attempt, intercepting eight passes and chalking up 16 sacks. How much havoc can this unit create against Russell Wilson, who has been sacked 17 times already?
Seattle (the -230 favorite at BetAnySports in NFL money line betting) won its first four games this season, but two of those wins were very tight ones on the road. In the opener, they struggled with the Carolina Panthers, scoring just twelve points. Then they needed a pick six and numerous other mistakes by the collapsing Houston Texans to win a game in overtime that they should have lost. Eleven days ago, they DID lose, as they blew a fourth-quarter lead to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.
Don’t get us wrong; we don’t expect that in the new race to hit the highest decibel level in the Guinness Book of Records (a fad that might be the “flagpole sitting” of the 21st Century), something Seattle’s fans held for a couple of weeks before Kansas City overtook them, that the fans of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area might intimidate the opposition here. However, if the Cardinals come out and play on defense, no one should be expecting a complete walkover.
Get in on the Thursday night action by opening up an account with BetAnySports today!
More About Charles Jay
CHARLES JAY grew up around the gaming business, was raised in the boxing business, and along the way has developed a colorful background through a wide range of experiences. Jay was a veteran of almost two decades actively in the boxing industry, as a writer, publicist, matchmaker, booking agent, manager, and promoter. He was engaged as editorial consultant for USA Network's "Tuesday Night Fights" for seven years, and also did some on-air work for USA. He also served as color commentator for, among others, Sunshine Network and Prime Network, and has called more than a dozen world championship fights for national and/or international television. He has been the host of numerous radio programs, including "Sportswatch with Charles Jay" on KDWN in Las Vegas, "Total Action" on WAXY 790 in Miami, and "Charles Jay's Winning Edge", syndicated into 55 markets by the American Radio Networks. For the past 20 years, he has been a professional sports handicapper, and as a consultant to the casino industry from 1993-95, helped to launch Casino Magic in Mississippi as a major venue for sports promotions. Also, he's been a casino/sports gaming columnist for a number of leading publications, including Sports Form, Casino Player, Card Player, and The Gambler. In the 2000's, he became widely known as one of the world's leading proponents and experts on the subject of boxing reform, having been asked to appear on numerous panels and speak at officials' seminars. He was the author of "Operation Cleanup" and "Operation Cleanup 2: Unfinished Business" - two critically-acclaimed e-books that represent arguably the most comprehensive and in-depth examination of boxing reform issues ever put into publication. In 2004 he published a third electronic book - "Body Shots: Outside the Ring and Inside the Game of Pro Boxing". In 2003 he was the recipient of the "Dignity" Award, in the category of "Best Sports Writer," as bestowed by the Retired Boxers Foundation.
View Posts - Visit Website
