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.
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