The San Francisco 49ers are playing again like the best team in the NFL, having convincingly won five in a row. But can they slow down an Arizona Cardinals team that is coming off a surprising Week 14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Let’s take a deeper look at this matchup between NFC West rivals.
49ers vs. Cardinals Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Spread: 49ers -12
- Moneyline: 49ers (-750), Cardinals (+525)
- Over/Under: 48
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Location: State Farm Stadium
- Channel: CBS
49ers vs. Cardinals Prediction
San Francisco has already clinched a playoff berth, and with a win on Sunday, they can clinch the NFC West. But the 49ers have even higher aspirations than that, as they are looking to maintain their hold on the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
No team is clicking more offensively and defensively these days than the 49ers. During their five-game winning streak, they are averaging 32.4 PPG and allowing only 13.0 PPG.
The weapons are plentiful on the 49ers roster. Running back Christian McCaffrey leads the league in both rushing yards (1,177) and scrimmage yards (1,614), and his 17 scrimmage touchdowns are second in the NFL behind only Raheem Mostert (18).
McCaffrey also loves playing Arizona. In six career games vs. the Cardinals, McCaffrey has had 100 or more scrimmage yards, including 177 scrimmage yards, and four touchdowns back in Week 4.
Not to be outdone is quarterback Brock Purdy, the NFL’s leader in completion percentage (70.2%), passing yards per attempt (9.9) and passer rating (116.9). In the Week 4 win over the Cardinals, Purdy was an impressive 20 for 21 passing for 283 yards and a touchdown.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
For Arizona to stay in this game, it would figure that QB Kyler Murray will need to have a strong game.
Murray is 2-3 in his career vs. the 49ers, although he hasn’t faced San Francisco since 2021. In those five games, Murray has six TD passes, two TD runs, and two interceptions.
But Murray has not been great when under pressure. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, over the last two seasons, Murray has a 47.3% completion percentage when under pressure, with a 51.7 passer rating.
And no team brings the pressure more than the 49ers. According to Next Gen Stats, San Francisco leads the NFL with 231 quarterback pressures. And after recording only 18 sacks over their first eight games, the 49ers have 22 sacks over their last five games.
In injury news, San Francisco’s top two defensive tackles — Arik Armstead (foot/knee) and Javon Hargrave (hamstring) — will both sit out this matchup. Although questionable, LB Dre Greenlaw (hip/ankle) does have a chance to play Sunday after participating in practice Friday.
For the Cardinals, a pair of wide receivers — Marquise Brown (heel) and Michael Wilson (neck) — both were limited participants in practice this week, so there’s a chance one or both could suit up Sunday.
Arizona is 4-2 vs. the spread as a home underdog this season but is also 0-4 against the spread vs. NFC West opponents. One trend to keep an eye on for the 49ers is the fact that they are 0-3 vs. the spread when facing a rest disadvantage. San Francisco played last week, while Arizona is coming off a bye.
While Murray has put up some decent numbers vs. the 49ers, it’s difficult to go against a team playing as well as San Francisco right now. But with the 49ers banged up on defense, I am going to take a chance, along with a dozen points.
The Cardinals are the pick to cover this week.
Best Bet: Cardinals +12 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
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