The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals are set up for an NFC West battle on Sunday afternoon. Both teams just lost divisional matchups last week and need a big win to get back on track. Jacoby Brissett will be under center for Arizona, but the quarterback on the other side is not known yet. Will San Francisco's quarterback change the predictions? Let's take a look at the bold predictions for the 49ers and Cardinals matchup.
The biggest injury ahead of this game is Brock Purdy, who is working his way back from a foot injury. If he cannot go, their offense has been clicking with Mac Jones under center all season long. The Cardinals just lost Marvin Harrison Jr for the game due to appendicitis, which could hurt Brissett's performance.
How will the NFC West matchup shake out? Find out in our 49ers and Cardinals bold predictions.
Christian McCaffrey will score two touchdowns
The 49ers are 6-4 with their heads above water despite an incredible amount of injuries. Christian McCaffrey has been the reason why, racking up yards both on the ground and through the air for the entire season. The running back is healthy and dominating defenses once again. That will end with McCaffrey finding the end zone twice against the Cardinals.
McCaffrey has just eight touchdowns this season, four rushing and four receiving. But his yardage and reception totals have blown competition out of the water on the fantasy football side. He has 69 catches, behind only Ja'Marr Chase for the league lead. Jones has used his safety valve a lot since taking over, and that will end in touchdowns on Sunday.
Jacoby Brissett throws for 225 yards
The Cardinals have turned to Jacoby Brissett amid a mysterious Kyler Murray injury. Since taking over, Brissett has not thrown for less than 258 yards in his four starts. That will be harder without Harrison, who has 14 catches in Brissett's 14 games. But the long-time backup will reach 225 yards again, continuing his stellar run as the backup in Arizona.
Last week was far from perfect for Brissett, who fumbled twice, leading to two Seattle touchdowns. But once the game was out of hand, he carved up the Seahawks' secondary and scored some points. That could be the strategy to get to this bold prediction again this week, especially without Harrison on the outside.
Brissett will target Trey McBride a lot in this game, especially considering San Francisco's injured linebacker core. McBride has been one of the best tight ends in football over the past two seasons, making him a great security blanket for any backup quarterback.
The 49ers beat the Cardinals by at least ten points
The 49ers may be injured, but the Cardinals just aren't very good. San Francisco will roll over Arizona, beating them by at least ten points on Sunday. The Kyler Murray saga has loomed over this team for three weeks now, but the Marvin Harrison Jr injury will hamper their offense enough for the 49ers to take over this game.
The Seahawks and Rams are playing against each other at the same time. So if the 49ers win this game, they will be 7-4 while one of those other teams is 7-3. The Panthers and Browns stand between San Francisco and their bye, so a win against Arizona could get them back on track.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the 49ers are three-point favorites on the road against the Cardinals. McCaffrey and Brissett will be key to both sides winning, but it will be San Francisco in the end that pulls out the victory. Can this launch them to an unlikely NFC West title?
