Week 4 is here, which is a mercy after the rough betting we have endured. We went 1-5 in our Best Bets in Week 3 and are looking at a 7-13 record for the season so far. There is plenty of time to turn it around, but we need to get going sooner rather than later. So why not start tonight. We have an NFC West matchup between the 2-1 Seahawks and 2-1 Cardinals. I have gone through the available bets and picked the one that should start off our Week 4 with a victory. Let’s make some money!

Best Bet

Seahawks -1.5

Seahawks@ Cardinals

Match-up Overview and History

The Cardinals are hosting the Seahawks tonight in Arizona. These teams have played each other 52 times and the Seahawks hold the edge in the all-time series, leading 29-22-1. In the last 5 matchups, the Seahawks are 5-0. Last year was the first time that the Mike Macdonald Seahawks faced the Jonathan Gannon Cardinals and they swept them. The most recent game was a 30-18 Seattle victory.

From a betting perspective, the books are favoring Seattle by 1.5 points. Typically, the home team is gifted 3 points in betting. 71% of the public bets are being placed on Seattle -1.5. 68% of the bets are being placed on the Seahawks to win straight up. The total for this game is set at 43.5 points. 52% of the bets are being placed on the under.

Game Odds

Seahawks Offense

The Seattle offense has been humming so far this year. They are scoring 29.3 points per game, which is 5th in the NFL. They are moving the ball more effectively through the air than on the ground. They are averaging 219 pass yards per game, which is 12th in the NFL. ON the ground, they are averaging 96 yards per game, which is 21st in the NFL. Sam Darnold is leading the passing game. He is 52/74 for 663 yards, and 4 TDs. His leading receiver is Jaxon Smith-Njigba who has 22 receptions, 323 yards, and 1 TD. The leading rusher for this team is Kenneth Walker III. Walker has 39 rushes for 163 yards and 3 TDs. The matchup to exploit tonight would be in the pass game. The Cardinals defense gives up a lot of pass yards and is banged up in their secondary. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are fully healthy up front and have several weapons for Darnold to lean on.

Seahawks Defense

Mike Macdonald, as a former defensive coordinator, has implemented his defensive identity on the team. The Seahawks are allowing just 15.7 yards per game, which ranks them 2nd in the league. They are currently excelling against the run as they are allowing only 90 yards per game, which is 7th in the league. They have been allowing a decent amount of passing yards averaging 221 pass yards allowed per game. These stats can be explained by the fact that they have won their past two games in blowout fashion. That being said, this Seattle defense is incredibly talented. They are able to create pressure by only rushing 4 linemen. This allows a talented secondary to cover routes down the field. This particular defensive group caused major issues for Kyler Murray last year and will most likely continue to do so tonight.

Cardinals Offense

The Cardinals are scoring 20.7 points per game, which is 19th in the league. They have beaten the Saints and Panthers and then lost to the 49ers last week. Through the air, they are averaging 165 yards per game. Kyler Murray is 60/89 for 542 yards and 4 TDs. Their leading receiver has been Trey McBride. He has 17 receptions for 182 yards and 1 TD. They have a tall task at hand with this talented Seattle defense. The pass game is currently being hindered by the disappearance of Marvin Harrison Jr, who appears to have the yips and can’t consistently catch the ball.

On the ground, they are averaging 111 yards per game, which is 16th in the NFL. They lost a big part of their rushing attack last week with starting running back James Conner suffering a season-ending ankle injury. That means that Trey Benson will be taking over the lead role. Benson has been used primarily in the pass game but will obviously take on a heavier run load tonight. We will see if he is able to find space against this tough Seattle front.

Cardinals Defense

The Cards are only allowing 17 points per game, which is 5th in the NFL. Oddly enough, they are allowing the 3rd most pass yards in the league, averaging 264 yards allowed per game. On the ground, they are only allowing 76 yards per game, which is 4th in the league. I mentioned earlier that they have some injuries in the secondary. Starting corner Will Johnson is doubtful, which means that the receivers for the Seahawks could have a big game. This could also bleed into the run game as the backs for Seattle have the potential to break into the second level.

Best Bet Background – Seahawks -1.5

One thing about the Cardinals that stood out over the last two weeks was their lack of ability to effectively close out the game. Last week, they forced a safety against the 49ers to take the lead late. They were unable to control the clock and ultimately lost on a field goal. Against the Panthers, there were up 27-9 in the 4th quarter with about 6 minutes left. They were unable to run out the clock and almost blew that lead as well. The final score ended up 27-22. Additionally, they have not beaten anyone of note. The Cardinals struggled against the Saints while the Seahawks blew them out of the water. So given the common opponents, the Cardinals’ inability to close out games, and the fact that Mike Macdonald has had Kyler Murrays number so far, I think that this game is going to be won by the Seahawks. NFC West games can always get squirely, especially on Thursdays. However, there is too much stacked against the Cardinals to overcome.