The Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs were both pleasant surprises of the 2014 season. The two will meet to kick off the 2015 campaign in Week 1 of the preseason.
ODDS ANALYSIS
It's all about home field advantage here in Week 1 of the preseason, where every host is a favorite. Arizona is no exception at -2.5. The total feels relatively stock at just 36.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
The Chiefs were very conservative in the passing game all year long, and Andy Reid was conservative with his use of starter Alex Smith in the first preseason game, too. Expect to see mostly Chase Daniel and Aaron Murray in this game. Smith, at best, will see two drives.
Carson Palmer ran just one drive last year in the first game of the season, and you can bet that Bruce Arians is going to be careful with him as well after he missed the end of last season injured. Logan Thomas will probably get a good, long look after Drew Stanton plays a drive or two.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
In short, there really is no motivation in this game. Reid is just 27-33-2 ATS in his coaching career in the preseason, and though Arians is 5-2-1 ATS, he isn't going to be putting his starters at much risk in this game.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Most of these guys (veterans) don't like to come to camp anyway. They like to get in those last two weeks. Give them a little heads up: 'Make sure you're in shape. We're thinking about you.' And then pull the trigger when we have to." – Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians on why he has 19 rookies in training camp
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Of those 19 rookies, 11 of them are on the defensive side of the ball for Arizona. Keep a close eye on the Cardinals' secondary in the second half of this one, as there are six rookies vying for potentially just one cornerback and one safety spot on the roster.
INJURIES
Dontari Poe is going to sit this one out for the Chiefs with a back problem. Malcolm Floyd has three broken fingers on his left hand which has kept him away from Arizona's training camp as well.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Though there isn't a lot of motivation here, one of these coaches is by nature going to spread the ball out a bit, while one is going to ultimately just play it safe, keep the ball on the ground or through the air in short intervals and hope to get out of dodge without suffering any major injuries.
Remember that last season, Thomas really looked strong at times in the preseason, and Arians is going to ask him to air it out to see what he brings to the table now that he’s had a full year under his belt in the pros.
As a result, we want Arizona on our side, and we wouldn't be afraid to back it in live betting either, even if it falls behind in this game.
Arizona 28, Kansas City 14
The NFL odds for this Saturday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the Arizona Cardinals were position as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 36. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The Week 1 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals is set for Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. ET at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The contest will be broadcast on ABC 15 and KCTV 5.
