The Arizona Cardinals are quickly becoming one of the most exciting teams in the NFL. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury, quarterback Kyler Murray, and the rest of the team have a plan to be competitive in the NFC West for years to come. The 2020 campaign was another building block in the road towards getting to the Super Bowl, as the team 8-8 and scored 25.6 points per game.
The team was also popular among many people on the NFL betting market. The Cardinals were rather active this season, although the sportsbooks might have been a little too lofty in the over/under category.
How the Over/Unders Worked
The Arizona Cardinals had a 5-11 record on the over/under. Many sportsbooks might have figured that the Cardinals would be an offensive powerhouse, giving Murray’s pedigree and Kingsbury’s immense success in leading Patrick Mahomes when he was a quarterback at Texas Tech. But the Cards still didn’t get far in scoring, even as the team averaged about 385 yards of offense each game.
Offensive Plays of the Year:
5️⃣
4️⃣ Hopkins vs. the Seahawks
3️⃣
2️⃣
1️⃣ The #HailMurray pic.twitter.com/1ro1mj9S4i— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) February 15, 2021
The Cardinals had too many turnovers this season, totaling 21 versus 18 takeaways. Kicker Zane Gonzalez missed a good number of clutch field goals as well, causing a few quality possessions to be for nothing.
The Cardinals scored twenty or fewer points in eight games this season. The team had over/under values of about fifty or greater for much of the season, but the sportsbooks started to correct those values late in the season. The last game against the Los Angeles Rams ended up with a 42 over/under. The Rams won that game 18-7.
The games where the team did meet the over were ones where the defense tended to slip up. The Cardinals gave up at least thirty points in five games, including 38 to the Los Angeles Rams in their first match against them this season. The defense’s most efficient games this year were against bottom-feeders, including in a 30-10 win over the New York Jets and a 26-7 domination of the New York Giants.
Spread Performance
The Cardinals were 8-8 against the spread, with many of the results involving the underdog pulling off the ATS win. The Cardinals were a -6 favorite against the Miami Dolphins, but they won that game by a field goal. The Cards were also underdogs at +3.5 in their home game against the Seattle Seahawks, but they won by a field goal in overtime.
The spreads were relatively close, especially as the Cardinals’ offense proved to be unpredictable. The most substantial spread was a -6.5 line for the Cardinals against the Philadelphia Eagles, which the Cards barely covered by half a point.
What to See in 2021
The Arizona Cardinals are not expected to contend in 2021, as they have a +4400 line to win Super Bowl LVI. The team also has the worst odds to win the NFC West at +700. Seattle is the closest to them in the division with a +260 line to win.
The most significant worry for the Cards on the NFL betting market involves the potential roster turnover. Dre Kirkpatrick and Patrick Peterson are both on the free agency market. Losing those two players would hurt the team’s pass defense.
The club has a somewhat easy schedule in 2021, as they will play the NFC North and AFC South teams, plus they have games with Carolina and Dallas. But the rest of the NFC West is filled with high-value quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford, and the defenses are also a challenge. Expect the 2021 season to be a tough one for the Arizona Cardinals.
Even though the NFL season is over, we will still be keeping our eye on what’s going on! Make sure you check all the latest information on our NFL hub page.
*Odds correct at time of writing.
Image by: pixy.org
