The Seahawks enter Arizona on a franchise-record 11-game winning streak, dating back to last season and their triumphant playoff run to becoming Super Bowl champs.
The opening spread was set as high as 10 points when released in July, but oddsmakers are showing increased respect for Arizona following their Week 1 upset against the Chargers.
In addition to Sam Darnold being ruled out, the Seahawks are now favored by just 3.5 points on Fanatics Sportsbook.
Bettors may view this game as a double-edged sword: either Arizona pulls off another stunning upset, or the defending Super Bowl champs keep their momentum rolling against an all-too-familiar division rival.
At first glance, it seems the latter will occur.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals prediction, best bet
The Cardinals are often overlooked due to sharing a division with the Rams, Niners, and defending champions, but Mike LaFleur’s squad made quite the statement by defeating the Chargers as 9.5-point underdogs in their season opener.
Settling in as the biggest underdog on the spread within the Week 1 slate, that didn’t stop them from ushering in the post-Kyler Murray era with a huge victory that burned plenty of survivor pools in the process.
Arizona’s wire-to-wire win was highly impressive as they held Justin Herbert and the Chargers to only 14 points.
This makes them a legitimate underdog to repeat it in Week 2, but the reigning Super Bowl champion is a juggernaut in their own right.
Betting on the NFL?
As difficult as it was to lose Darnold on the opening drive of the season, the benefit was that Lock took over early enough and received live in-game reps
It also helped that he has Jaxon Smith-Njigba to target, whose big-play ability has hurt the Cardinals in previous matchups.
Seattle’s defense stepped up in a major way, forcing Drake Maye into three turnovers to decisively flip the field—a signature trait of Mike Macdonald’s squad.
Coming out of Week 1, the defense ranks fifth overall in DVOA per FTN.
Seattle has dominated this rivalry with nine straight victories over Arizona, while Macdonald boasts an unblemished 4-0 record as head coach against the Cards.
Despite not having Darnold in this road clash and watching the line shift toward the home underdog, back Seattle to extend their streak, along with a pick on the under.
The Play: SGP (+180, Fanatics): Seahawks moneyline (-205) + Under 41 points (-110)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
