The Cardinals were ridiculous last year. Not only did they go 13-3, but they scored the second-most points in the NFL with 30.6 per game while allowing the seventh-fewest at 19.6 per game. They were incredibly efficient on both sides of the ball, but unfortunately bowed out to the Panthers in the NFC Championship Game.
Quarterback Carson Palmer, who had his finest season in the NFL in 2015, is creeping up in age, but the window is still wide open for the Cardinals to make a run at their first Super Bowl title. The Cards will be at the top of their game with a few upgrades on defense and will be serious contenders in 2016
Arizona Cardinals Regular Season Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cardinals Over 10 Wins ( -116 )
Cardinals Under 10 Wins ( -104 )
Don’t expect much, if any, regression offensively from the Cardinals in 2016. Head coach Bruce Arians has proven to be a genius and the Cards are stacked again on that side of the ball. Palmer has shown no hint of his 36 years and is coming off an MVP-type season when he set career-bests in quarterback rating, passing yards and touchdown passes.
All the pieces are in place with the top two running backs and three leading receivers all back to give it another go. The Johnsons – Chris and David – combined for nearly 1,400 yards rushing while Larry Fitzgerald is back for his 100th season along with John Brown and Michael Floyd.
Defensively, the Cards felt the lack of a pass rush hindered them last season after finishing in the bottom half of the league with 36. Acquiring Chandler Jones and drafting Robert Nkemdiche should address that area, and the return of Tyrann Mathieu will also help.
2016 Arizona Cardinals Schedule
Opening betting lines for the Cardinals in parentheses
Week 1: vs. Patriots ( PK )
Week 2: vs. Buccaneers ( -9)
Week 3: at Bills ( -2.5)
Week 4: vs. Rams ( -7)
Week 5: at 49ers ( -6)
Week 6: vs. Jets ( -4)
Week 7: vs. Seahawks ( -1)
Week 8: at Panthers ( +3.5)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: vs. 49ers ( -10.5)
Week 11: at Vikings ( +1.5)
Week 12: at Falcons ( -2.5)
Week 13: vs. Redskins ( -6.5)
Week 14: at Dolphins ( -3)
Week 15: vs. Saints ( -9)
Week 16: at Seahawks ( +3.5)
Week 17: at Rams
If there was any question about how the Cardinals are viewed as a national product, it was answered with the release of the 2016 NFL schedule. The Cards will open the season at home on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” against the New England Patriots
More proof of the Cardinals' growing reputation is the fact the Patriots' game is the first of four nationally televised regular-season games for the Cards this season. The other three come in consecutive weeks with matchups against San Francisco, New York Jets and NFC West rival Seattle starting on Oct. 6.
QUICK PICK
It will be tough to duplicate the win total from last season when Arizona set a franchise record with 13 regular season victories. But under Arians the Cardinals have posted double-digit win totals in all three seasons, another first for the Arizona club matching the St. Louis Cardinals from the mid 1970s.
The Cardinals have been transformed into winners under Arians and the roster is loaded for another run. They also have a chip on their shoulder after the way last season ended. Arizona pissed down its leg in the NFC Championship, turning the ball over seven times and getting blasted by the Panthers.
The Rams and 49ers won’t put up much of a fight in the division and the Cards potentially have five victories inside the West if they take care of business against those clubs and split with Seattle. With five of their first seven games at home, getting off to a fast start is imperative and they open with the Patriots, who could be without Tom Brady. That’s good news for the Cards. A 10-win season is the basement for this club and if they stay healthy, there’s no reason to think the Cardinals can’t match last season’s win total.
NFL Odds: Arizona Cardinals Over 10 Wins
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