- Seattle (8-8) is a 3-point road favorite over the Cardinals (4-12) in Week 18 of the NFL season
- Kyler Murray received a vote of confidence from his head coach after upsetting the Eagles last week
- Sunday’s contest kicks off from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ at 4:25 pm ET
After a disappointing loss to the Steelers last Sunday, the Seahawks are in danger of missing the postseason. To make the playoffs, Seattle needs a win over Arizona in week 18 combined with a Packers loss to the Bears.
Will Pete Carroll get his team in the dance or will Kyler Murray and company play spoiler for the second week in a row? Before we check the odds on this NFC West rivalry matchup and make our picks, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2023.
Cardinals vs Seahawks
Kyler’s staying in the desert
While Seattle has won their past four games over Arizona, Jonathan Gannon’s club won’t be an easy out. The Cardinals are coming off a 35-31 road upset over the Eagles. Kyler Murray passed for 232 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, seemingly cementing his status in the desert.
In a radio appearance this week, Gannon called Murray “our franchise quarterback,” saying there was no doubt who would be his starter next season. Murray should stay hot against a bottom-10 Seahawks defense that’s permitting 23.9 points per game.
“I’ve been convicted since I got here.”
Arizona Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon says he’s never wavered on Kyler Murray being his starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/PLtZPb39FO
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) January 3, 2024
Seattle’s disappointing year
After fleecing the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade and landing a surprise playoff berth in 2022, Seattle entered the season with high hopes. However, the Seahawks once again have one of the worst defenses in the league under defensive head coach Pete Carroll. And their beat-up offensive line has failed to protect Geno Smith all season.
Could Carroll’s job be in jeopardy? A loss to Arizona on Sunday would drop the Seahawks’ record to 8-9 following a 5-2 start to the season.
Arizona vs Seattle
Arizona is a 3-point home underdog at State Farm Stadium on Sunday and the over/under is set as 47.5 points. The Cardinals fell to the Seahawks 20-10 back in week 7, but that was with Josh Dobbs starting at quarterback. In his last game versus Seattle in November 2022, Kyler Murray threw for 175 yards and 2 TDs with 60 yards rushing.
Geno Smith passed for 219 yards, 2 TDs, INT in October’s meeting with the Cards. He’ll look to rebound after getting strip-sacked in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Geno Smith is *not* the problem in Seattle.
Full discussion of the Seahawks’ issues on this week’s pod: https://t.co/25po4Tj9rF
YouTube: https://t.co/Trnl2RX3Ug pic.twitter.com/6aJ72JzyAN
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 3, 2024
Best Bet
Seattle has more to play for with a spot in the postseason on the line. However, there are a lot of good vibes around the Cardinals considering they’re a 4-win team. Jonathan Gannon’s club would also love to hand their NFC West division rivals a loss.
We like Arizona to win outright (+130) on Sunday, with the OVER 47.5.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
