Seattle Seahawks (5-0 4-1 ATS) at Arizona Cardinals (4-2 4-2 ATS)
The lone undefeated team in the NFL in the Seahawks head to the desert to take on a Cardinals team that has won two in a row. The Seahawks are the 3.5-point betting favorite on the road with the total at 54.5 at MyBookie.
The public has slightly backed Seattle in this NFC West affair, as they opened as a 3-point favorite and are a 3.5-point favorite as of Wednesday.
While the Seahawks rank in the middle of the pack in the league in defense MVP candidate Russell Wilson has led a team that leads the NFL averaging 33.8 ppg.
The Cardinals have won two straight where they have outscored their opponents 68-20. However, those two games came against weak teams and Arizona has not beaten a team this season that currently has a winning record.
Arizona’s defense ranks second in the league giving up an average of 18.7 ppg and their rushing offense ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards per game.
These teams have not met this season and last season these division rivals split the two games facing each other with each winning on the road.
The Cardinals are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games facing the Seahawks.
Big Time 3rd Quarter Helps
The Seahawks are coming off a bye week and in their last game, they were at home and beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-26 where they scored 21 points in the third quarter. They were outgained 449 yards to 314 yards but forced tow turnovers and scored all 27 of their points in the second half.
Wilson may be in the lead in the MVP race with 19 TD, which leads the league, and only three INT. In the last game, he passed for 217 yards with three TD and one INT and also rushed for 58 yards.
Chris Carson (289 rushing yards) leads the Seahawks in rushing yards with Wilson ranking second and will face an Arizona run D that held the Dallas Cowboys to only 57 rushing yards in their last game.
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have been Wilson’s main targets this season and Metcalf is among the league leaders in receiving yards.
Wilson and company will not have to face star pass-rusher Chandler Jones, who was recently lost for the season with an injury.
Can the Cardinals Beat a Legit Team?
The Cardinals have not beaten a good team this season but did look impressive on Monday night in their 38-10 road win over the Cowboys. They forced four turnovers and did not commit any and racked up 261 rushing yards.
Kyler Murray has avoided the sophomore slump ranking 10th in the league in QBR. However, while he had some big plays in the win over the Cowboys he was only 9/24.
Kenyon Drake blew up for 164 rushing yards in the win over Dallas after struggling for a couple of games and has to get it done in this game.
Murray has a legit WR corps and he needs to take advantage of a Seattle pass defense that ranks dead last in the NFL.
Not only has the pass D been bad for Seattle but they only have nine sacks through five games. Wilson and the dynamic offense have masked the defensive liabilities but can the Cardinals get to Wilson and keep this game from becoming a shootout? Big question.
Prediction
Seattle is 13-4-1 ATS in their last 18 road games while the Cardinals are a solid 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games as an underdog
I like Murray and the Cardinals are a good team but Wilson is the better QB and his team is a legit Super Bowl contender. Seattle will rack up the yards in this game and they will need to with their defense. In a high scoring and pretty close game, the Seahawks will pull off the road win and cover the short spread.
PICK: Seahawks -3.5