Arizona’s superb run in the 2021 NFL season came to an end in Week 8. After seven straight wins, the brave Cardinals finally lost to the Green Bay Packers. They lost by only a field goal, which isn’t a disaster. However, a potential disaster may have happened in that game – Kyler Murray picking up an injury.
The #1 favorite for the 2021 NFL MVP award injured his ankle against the Packers, for which he had to miss Wednesday’s practice. It’s very likely that he will feature in the Week 9 game against the Niners, but he probably isn’t going to be at his best.
Does this mean the Cardinals are in trouble? Arizona’s bookmakers seem to think so.
49ers vs Cardinals 2021 Odds
Moneyline
| San Francisco 49ers | Arizona Cardinals |
| -135 | +115 |
Point Spread
| San Francisco 49ers (-2.5) | Arizona Cardinals (+2.5) |
| -110 | -110 |
Points O/U
| Over 45 points | Under 45 points |
| -110 | -110 |
Arizona’s Problems Keep Piling Up
The Cardinals QB Kyler Murray remains doubtful, although he did say he is ‘good to go’ for the Week 9 game. Unfortunately, that’s not the only problem the Cards are facing. They have some serious issues with absentees, especially in the offensive team.
Their starting wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is out with a hamstring injury. He is on route to recovery, but will probably have to skip the San Francisco game.
The obvious replacement for him would be A.J. Green, but the receiver will also have to miss this game. The reason for his absence is that he tested positive for COVID-19. The same is the reason why Arizona will also be without tight end, Demetrius Harris.
Without these guys in the team, their offensive game is likely to suffer. This goes especially because they don’t seem to do well against the Niners’ defense.
Can the Cards Break the Niners’ Defense?
As the two are divisional rivals, they have to meet twice per season. One of their games already took place in October, when the Cardinals hosted the game in Glendale. They did win, but it wasn’t an impressive victory.
The final score was 17-10, which remains the Cardinals’ least productive offensive display in 2021. In all the other games they’ve played this season, they scored over 20 points. In fact, in six games, we saw their offense going for over 30.
On the bright side, their defense did do very well against San Francisco’s offense. However, there’s a caveat – the Niners’ QB in that game was rookie Trey Lance.
In Week 9, Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be the Niners’ signal-caller. The reason why the Cards need to fear the guy is that he’s been sensational over the last couple of weeks. Not only has he been very productive with his passing game, but he’s also scored three rushing touchdowns. Two of those happened last weekend against the Chicago Bears.
49ers vs Cardinals Betting Predictions
It seems very likely that we’ll see Arizona suffering its second loss of the season. Everything seems to be going in San Francisco’s favor ahead of Week 9 – they play at home, their offense looks solid, and their QB is coming off a vintage display on Halloween.
It’s literally just the opposite when the Cardinals are concerned. With that being said, backing the Niners to win and cover the spread seems like the most logical solution. When it comes to point totals, we’ll probably see under 45, the reason being that Arizona’s offensive team is decimated by injuries.
