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Rise up, Red Sea! With a fresh new face running the show down in the valley under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon, anything is possible! It is time to check out our NFL odds series, where our Arizona Cardinals over/under win total prediction and pick will be unveiled for all to see!
It seems like an eternity ago when the Arizona Cardinals were the talk of the league after beginning the 2021 season going 7-0 and looking like a bonafide Super Bowl threat. Oh, how quickly the tables can turn. Shortly after, the wheels fell off, as the ‘Cards have gone 8-19 since including a disastrous 2022 campaign that saw head coach Kliff Kingsbury get canned along with QB Kyler Murray going down for the season with a Torn ACL. Nevertheless, the start of a new football season always provides hope in a locker room. Do the Arizona Cardinals have what it takes for a bounce-back season en route to winning more than 4.5 wins?
Here are the NFL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds
Over 4.5 wins: -102
Under 4.5 wins: -120
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Why the Cardinals Can Win 4.5 Games
To begin, the Cardinals have surely fallen from grace as oddsmakers have set Arizona's over/under at 4.5 games. While this may not sound like a very difficult thing to accomplish, the Cardinals must first figure out how to combat Kyler Murray's devastating injury. At the moment, it appears once again that backup QB Colt McCoy will do most of the quarterbacking until Murray returns to under center. As it stands, Murray might not return to the field until the second half of the 2023 season.
While McCoy remains as one of the league's top backup signal callers, Arizona must make it a priority to get the running game going behind a decent offensive line and running back James Conner. While many fans and analysts of the game are viewing it as nearly impossible for Arizona to be contenders in 2023, the ‘Cards best chance of shocking the league and hitting the over 4.5 win mark is to pound the rock down the throats of their opposition.
In addition, with the injuries on offense, it may be up to an unproven defense to remain stout and keep Arizona in games. Unfortunately, there aren't many impact names on the defensive side of the ball, but guys like Budda Baker, Isaiah Simmons, and even youngsters like Myjai Sanders and Zaven Collins to take a big leap if the Cardinals are going to shock the football world.
Why the Cardinals Can Not Win 4.5 Games
Without a doubt, the Arizona Cardinals are in a bit of a rebuilding phase with a first-year coach and some glaring holes on a roster that was decimated by injuries and free agency. Throughout the off-season, Arizona saw the losses of WR DeAndre Hopkins, DL J.J Watt, CB Byron Murphy, EDGE Markus Golden, and even a slew of impactful offensive linemen. Simply put, Arizona's depth certainly took a hit from last year to this and the Cardinals had to use their free agency period to sign guys to fill in gaps rather than signing some high-end names.
Of course, the lack of edge rushing and coverage options is more than concerning, as it wouldn't be a surprise for opposing offenses to have their way by finding the end zone more often than not. Without a whole lot of experience, Arizona may be in store for some growing pains even with a defensive-minded head coach like Jonathan Gannon running the show.
More significant movement happened along the trenches of the offensive line as Arizona got busy during the NFL Draft and in free agency. While drafting Paris Johnson Jr. and re-signing guys like Will Hernandez seem effective on paper, it is almost certain that this Cardinals offense will be quite one-dimensional with McCoy under center. Although a talented group, the offensive line may take some adjusting as a unit with their blocking assignments and schemes which will make life all that more difficult for an offense that is trying to keep its head above water. If Arizona can't receive the proper production from the offensive line, then reaching at least 4.5 wins will be all the more strenuous.
Final Arizona Cardinals Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick
In less than two years, the Arizona Cardinals have gone from sure-fire contenders to bottom-of-the-heap pretenders. With the 10th hardest schedule in the league as well for the 2023 season, it is hard to fathom that the Cardinals will reach the five-win mark with the number of issues on both sides of the football.
Final Arizona Cardinals Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Under 4.5 Wins (-120)
