The Arizona Cardinals were the worst team in the NFL a season ago, finishing 3-13 with a really poor point-differential. They fired coach Steve Wilks after only one season and traded 2018 first round pick Josh Rosen to the Dolphins and went all-in on a new quarterback. Coach Kliff Kingsbury and No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray are hoping to turn things around in the desert, although the current NFL odds of the Cardinals making the playoffs prove it could be a long road. Arizona is expected to be in a rebuilding mode in 2019 and would need to really outpace projections to have a shot at the postseason.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cardinals odds to make the playoffs
Yes +500
No -800
Cardinals Playoff Odds Analysis
There are six spots for each conference in the postseason, one apiece for the four division winners as well as two wild card spots. The NFC has a lot of talented teams at the top and clearly it would be an upset for the Cardinals to turn things around this quickly and make the playoffs.
The Cardinals are heavy +3000 underdogs to win the NFC West as it features the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams as well as the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The team’s most likely path is a wild card berth.
In addition to the two games apiece against the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers, the Cardinals will play the Lions, Ravens, Panthers, Bengals, Falcons, Giants, Saints, Buccaneers, Steelers and Browns. It’s not that hard of a schedule but the Cardinals will still be the underdog in the vast majority of these matchups unless Murray and Kingsbury get things clicking right away.
Arizona Cardinals Odds
Murray won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Oklahoma last season and turned down a professional baseball career to join the NFL. He is an electric talent, but rookie quarterbacks deal with their share of ups and downs. Kingsbury is expected to bring a pass-happy offense from Texas Tech, which isn’t super common in the NFL. Murray used a similar style in college, and if it works quickly perhaps the Cardinals could be more successful than expected. His main weapons will be running back David Johnson, wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver Christian Kirk and wide receiver Michael Crabtree. There are questions about the offensive line after it failed to keep Rosen protected a year ago. Injuries were a big reason for the struggles and the Cardinals hope better health and the additions of guard J.R. Sweezy and tackle Marcus Gilbert will make for bigger holes in the running game, and most importantly, some time for Murray to hit receivers from the pocket.
The defense was hoping to be the strength of the team but could have some issues early on. The team’s best cornerback, Patrick Peterson, is suspended for the first six weeks of the year, while No. 2 cornerback Robert Alford broke his leg and will miss a big chunk of the season. Players like outside linebacker Chandler Jones, safety Budda Baker, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, safety D.J. Swearinger and inside linebacker Jordan Hicks will need to play well with the issues at cornerback.
Key Stats or Trends
The Cardinals were last in the majority of offensive categories a season ago, which is why Kingsbury and Murray were brought in. They would love to start fast, but going from three wins to the playoffs in one season is a tall task. There is enough intrigue surrounding the coach and quarterback pairing that the underdog choice could entice bettors, but 2019 still figures to be an uphill battle for the Cardinals to return to relevance in the NFC.
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