The Arizona Cardinals are striking while the iron is hot in the NFC West.
With San Francisco limping to a last-place finish, Seattle in a rebuild, and the Rams one bad sack from losing everything, the window is open for the Cardinals.
The franchise didn’t hold back in terms of addressing its soft spots this offseason. The focus of the draft and free agency was on improving a dud of a defense.
And they did.
The offense has plenty of standouts around quarterback Kyler Murray, who played at an elite level in the first half of 2024. The less we say about his final seven games, the better.
The schedule and the look-ahead lines also paint a picture of positivity in Arizona. Nine of those spreads sit between a field goal (-3 to +3), which means bookies aren’t counting out the Cardinals, who finished with an 11-6 ATS record last year.
I wander into the desert in search of betting profits in my 2025 Arizona Cardinals NFL betting preview.
Arizona Cardinals best bets
Read on for Jason's full analysis and Arizona Cardinals breakdown!
Arizona Cardinals odds for 2025
| Market |  |
|---|---|
| Win Super Bowl | +5000 |
| Win conference | +2500 |
| Win division | +425 |
| Make playoffs | +125 |
| Over 8.5 wins | -115 |
| Under 8.5 wins | -105 |
Best futures bet: Third in NFC West (+220)
I’m somewhat high on every NFC West team this season, but I like Arizona to edge out Seattle for third in the division, which will likely require eight or nine wins.
The Cardinals’ season win total is 8.5, with the vig padding the Over. The opportunity for a fast start to the season is there, with Arizona pegged as a favorite in five of the first six games.
There are some really bad defenses coming down the pike in 2025, starting with New Orleans, Carolina, and Tennessee in the first five weeks. Complementing those defensive improvements with points has the Cardinals sniffing the postseason.
Arizona Cardinals at a glance: Call of Duty
OK, Kyler Murray. The table is set for you to finally meet the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick.
The offense has a great balance between the run and pass, and this offensive line is sturdy, including ranking 11th in run block win rate. Murray has budding weapons in TE Trey McBride and second-year WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
This offense was a Top 10 attack in many advanced metrics to start 2024, powering a 7-3 SU and ATS record heading into a Week 10 bye. That version of Murray never came back from the break...
What will win bets: Defensive line
The 2024 defense was very much a “bend but don’t break” stop unit, giving up big gains but not necessarily big points. They also didn’t do anything to win games, like generate sacks, forced fumbles, or interceptions.
The front office was aggressively seeking danger in the offseason, adding lineman Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Calais Campbell in free agency while selecting Walter Nolen (who injured his calf) in the first round of the draft.
Causing chaos in the pocket will lift a sub-par LB corps and secondary, especially with the QB competition coming through the door in 2025. The first six weeks draw the likes of Spencer Rattler, Bryce Young, Cam Ward, and Daniel Jones.
What will lose bets: Murray’s miscues
Murray had only three interceptions through the first nine games of 2024. He was picked off eight times in the last seven outings. Those drive-killing mistakes erased Arizona’s postseason path in the home stretch.
When kept clean, Murray is among the best QBs in the land... but with his scrambling speed losing zip due to knee injuries, his play under pressure falls into the Grand Canyon.
He’s also shown a glaring weakness to zone defense, ranking ninth versus man but 20th against zone coverage. All in all, Murray just needs to be a better quarterback.
Arizona Cardinals schedule + spot bet: Another hot start
The Cardinals kicked in the door of the 2024 schedule and jumped out to a surprise 7-3 SU and ATS record. The 2025 calendar offers a similar smooth start.
Arizona is set as a point spread favorite in five of the first six games, facing New Orleans, Carolina, San Francisco, Seattle, Tennessee, and Indianapolis. From there, however, the Cardinals are the betting chalk just two more times in the closing 11 games.
The home stretch doesn’t help Arizona avoid another late-season faceplant. It plays three of the last four games on the road, including stops at Houston, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles — all of which will be pushing for the postseason.
Spot bet: Week 5 vs. Tennessee -5.5, 46.5
The Cardinals draw their biggest spread of the season, hosting the Titans in Week 5.
Not only is Tennessee expected to be a bottom-tier team in 2025, but Arizona will have a mini bye to prepare for this homestand after playing Seattle on Thursday in Week 4.
The Titans, on the other hand, will be hitting the road for the second straight week after playing at hard-hitting Houston the previous Sunday.
As it stands, this look-ahead line of -5.5 is the biggest pile of chalk the Cardinals have drawn since 2021.
Desert Storm
| Market | |
|---|---|
| Win MVP | +4000 |
| Lead NFL in passing yards | +2500 |
| Over 3375.5 passing yards | -110 |
| Under 3375.5 passing yards | -110 |
| Over 20.5 passing touchdowns | -110 |
| Under 20.5 passing touchdowns | -110 |
Kyler Murray best bet: Over 3375.5 passing yards (-110)
This 2025 prop total sits just shy of last year’s Over/Under of 3,400.5 passing yards – a mark Murray topped with more than 3,800 yards through the air.
With a better offensive line, growing repour with Harrison Jr., and a list of shitty secondaries lined up, I’m banking on Kyler to have a huge year under center. Add to that all but four games being played on fast indoor tracks.
Injuries have prevented him from passing for 4,000 yards in his career, but 2025 season-long models are flirting with that bar. Obviously, Murray doesn’t have to do so to blow away this low total.
Arizona Cardinals trend: Big Dogs
The Cardinals are underdogs in 10 of their 17 look-ahead lines and get more than a field goal in four of those games.
In two short seasons, head coach Jonathan Gannon has made good on those extra points, boasting a 12-7 ATS mark when getting +3.5 or more from bookies.
- Week 3 at San Francisco +3.5
- Week 13 at Tampa Bay +3.5
- Week 17 at Cincinnati +3.5
- Week 18 at L.A. Rams +4.5
More NFL team previews
Want to see Jason's forecast for the rest of the NFL? Check out all of his NFL team previews below!
| Bills | Ravens | Texans | Broncos |
| Dolphins | Bengals | Colts | Chiefs |
| Patriots | Browns | Jaguars | Raiders |
| Jets | Steelers | Titans | Chargers |
| Cowboys | Bears | Falcons | Cardinals |
| Giants | Lions | Panthers | Rams |
| Eagles | Packers | Saints | 49ers |
| Commanders | Vikings | Buccaneers | Seahawks |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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