Thursday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks Betting Picks
In this week’s edition of Thursday Night Football, the Cardinals (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) are traveling to Seattle to take on the Seahawks (6-3 SU, 5-4 ATS) in what may prove to be a crucial battle in NFC West. The two already met in Week 7, but this matchup finds teams moving in different directions. Seattle was undefeated and sitting on top of the division three weeks ago, but 3 losses in the last 4 games placed them in a three-way race for NFC West along with Thursday rivals and LA Rams. On the other hand, Arizona has put together a string of good performances, winning 4 out of the last 5.
Thursday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks Betting Line Movement
The recent good form of the Cardinals drove most of the early action in their direction moving the line from -5.5 in Seattle’s favor to -3 at the moment. After a shootout in their last meeting, the oddsmakers expect a similar game this time and the total line is at 57.5, the highest in the NFL this week.
Notes On The Arizona Cardinals
Buoyed by a Hail Mary (or a “Hail Murray”) pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins to claw out a win in dying seconds against the Bills, the Cardinals will go to Seattle confident that they can take control of the NFC West. Murray’s miracle 43-yard pass was a cherry on top of a breakout season for the second-year QB who is deservedly claiming his place among the league’s best. However, against Buffalo, it was the Arizona rushing that decided the game. The Cardinals ran for more than 6 yards per carry and scored two rushing touchdowns. Still, on Thursday, much will depend on the defense and their ability to stop Russell Wilson and co, a task made much harder by injuries to several key defensive players, including Corey Peters, De’Vondre Campbell, and Darrell Daniels.
Murray has thrown for 2375 yards and 17 touchdowns this season and rushed for 604 yards, making him the second-best rusher on the team and the 1st among the quarterbacks in the league. Numbers that make him a must in your DFS lineup, either as a captain or flex. Murray’s game has greatly benefited from having a premium receiver in DeAndre Hopkins who is also a great fantasy option this week. Seattle’s defense is giving up 353 yards through the air per game and Hopkins torched them three weeks ago with 10 catches for over 100 yards and a TD.
Notes On The Seattle Seahawks
If the recent dip in form continues, the Seahawks, who looked like world-beaters a couple of weeks ago, might find themselves slipping out of the playoff picture. The below-par performances lately have been closely tied to the Russell Wilson displays. After starting the season on fire, Seattle’s QB has thrown almost as many interceptions (7) as touchdowns (9) in the last four games. Truth be told, he’s seriously lacking protection from his offensive line, getting sacked 11 times in the last two weeks. The defense, which has been the main issue at the start of the season, has improved slightly with the return of Jalen Adams who has tweaked his shoulder against the Rams but is likely to suit up for Thursday.
Similar to Murray, Russell Wilson is a must-have fantasy pick, despite his performances of late. Despite 3 interceptions last week, he still threw for 388 yards and 3 touchdowns, in addition to rushing 84 yards. With Chris Carson a major doubt for Thursday, RB Carlos Hyde will likely lead the line for the Seahawks. The last time he was in that role was in Week 7 against the same opponent and he did pretty good with a season-best 4.53 yards per carrying and a touchdown.
Thursday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks Betting Pick: OVER 57.5
When teams with two of the best offenses in the league and so-so defenses meet, the only logical choice is OVER. Arizona has no trouble scoring over 30 even against much tougher defensive sides, while there’s no doubt that Russell Wilson and his teammates will also put up their share of points.
