What we’ve seen so far from the San Francisco 49ers is pretty much what we expected. They let an early lead slip away against a beat up Dallas team and lost for the third straight time. However, things have fallen apart for the Arizona Cardinals and it could be much worse for the defending division champs depending on the health of Carson Palmer. The consensus preseason favorite to win the NFC West and represent the conference in Super Bowl LI has stumbled mightily out of the gate, but the Cards can get well quickly with a win over the Niners in Week 5.
This contest in Week 5 of the regular season will go down Thursday, October 6, 2016, at 5:25 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium.
Odds Analysis
With the status of Palmer unsure and the possibility of a change at quarterback for the 49ers, the line has yet to hit the board. Given the short week and Palmer entered into the league’s concussion protocol, the bet is on Drew Stanton making the start. If that’s the case, we could again see the Niners as a slight home favorite.
Injury Report
Carson Palmer – Left Sunday’s game to be evaluated for a concussion after his head slammed the turf while being sacked by L.A.’s Aaron Donald and Eugene Sims. The injury is more significant given the short week. Even if Palmer is cleared to play, there’s a good chance he won’t, according to Bruce Arians. “We’ll be very, very careful with this injury,” he said. Stanton, who’s gone more than a year without significant reps, would start.
NaVorro Bowman – Was helped off the field Sunday with an Achilles injury and is doubtful to play against the Cardinals. Bowman is the leader of the defense and his absence leaves a huge hole in the middle level. The Niners already lost Ray-Ray Armstrong and the linebacking corps doesn’t have capable backups.
Player to Watch
With Palmer likely sitting out, all eyes will be on Stanton as he tries to get more out of the Cardinals offense. The loss of Palmer is huge, there’s no denying that. But the Cards have struggled offensively all season and failed to score more than 18 points in each of the last two games. This from a team that averaged better than 30 points per game in 2015 and scored fewer than 20 points in a game three times, including the regular season finale when the division was already settled.
Stanton won’t be facing anything he hasn’t seen before. The 10-year veteran filled in when Palmer tore his ACL in 2014 and led the Cards to several victories and a playoff berth before he too was shelved with a knee injury. He took over Sunday with his team trailing 17-13 and less than three minutes remaining, but couldn’t generate the game-winning points. Instead, both drives ended with interceptions. But the reality is Stanton is not Palmer and the Cardinals are not the same. Sure, they may beat the 49ers simply because they’re the Niners and just about everybody beats them, but should Palmer miss more than a week, this team is in serious trouble.
Free ATS Pick
Maybe the Cardinals just needed something to rally around to get their season headed in the right direction. It’s not like they suddenly became a bad team because they didn’t. Arizona still has the talented players that carried them to several close victories last regular season and all the way to the NFC Championship game. With Palmer likely out for at least a week, the Cards have that something to rally around, and it’s Stanton. Costly penalties and silly mistakes, things the Cards simply didn’t do last season, bit them again last week in a loss to the Rams.
Now, with Stanton starting, it’s back to the basics for Arizona and it also helps that they get the 49ers. Playing desperate and trying catch up against the Rams was too much for Stanton to overcome last week. With a week to prep and with a clean slate, the Cards will grind out the yards on the ground with a less than pretty attack. They’ll take advantage of a Niners defense minus its leader to control the clock while harassing Blaine Gabbert into the mistakes that cost San Francisco another shot at victory. It’s not time to give up on the Cards, especially when they’re going against the Niners.
NFL Odds: Cardinals 23, 49ers 13
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
