Kliff Kingsbury and was thought to be a hot commodity this season after a fast start. Kingsburgy went 5-10-1 in his first season after being hired with a losing record as a college head coach (a much-criticized move), but was given a pass as a first-year coach with first-year quarterback Kyler Murray. In his second season, Arizona had jumped into a playoff position and even took down the red-hot Buffalo Bills thanks to a miracle play from Murray and newly-acquired DeAndre Hopkins (dubbed the “Hail Murray”).
The wheels fell off the wagon in the final quarter of the season and the Cardinals missed out on the playoffs behind an 8-8 record. Almost as inexcusable was their Week 17 loss to the Rams, who started a quarterback with no NFL snaps under his belt. All of a sudden, the hot commodity is under fire and wearing his stay in Arizona thin. While he’s likely bought himself another year in Phoenix, Year 3 is vital to Kingsbury and Murray alike. Their upcoming offseason will be one to keep an eye on as to what the Cardinals plan to do to make the playoff jump.
Free agency was as busy as imagined, with major players like Patrick Peterson and Kenyan Drake departing the team. However, Arizona added high-profile players like J.J. Watt, A.J. Green, and Rodney Hudson to the roster in a myriad of ways. Will the new-look Cardinals be enough to make the playoffs in the NFC in 2021?
Arizona Cardinals odds
Best Cardinals betting site(s)
Cardinals prop bets
Prop bets are based on individual performance, typically surrounding players. Kyler Murray was a player who offered a versatile pallet of prop bets that included both his passing totals and rushing totals. For example, Murray’s passing total in the Cardinals’ Week 15 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles was 285.5 yards. That game, he picked up a season-high 406 yards, giving those that bet the over on his passing prop the win.
Search below for Arizona Cardinals team or player props currently being offered at sportsbooks. You can also look around at other teams and players using this tool. Happy shopping!
Cardinals futures odds
Futures are long-term bets that can range from an offseason to a full season (or beyond). Team win totals, award winners, and player performance are common futures. For example:
2020 Odds to win NFL MVP
- Patrick Mahomes +350
- Lamar Jackson +600
- Russell Wilson +800
- Deshaun Watson +1400
This line for the league MVP would often be bet before the season starts. Futures allow for bettors to capitalize on players they think are favorites to win awards long before the odds shift away from their favor. For example, Aaron Rodgers opened with odds of +2500 to win the MVP award; his odds quickly shifted as the season developed and Rodgers was the eventual winner of the award.
Cardinals Super Bowl LVI odds
The Arizona Cardinals opened with +5000 odds to win Super Bowl LVI. Those odds are worst in the NFC West and in line with teams like the Raiders, Eagles, and Falcons.
Cardinals NFC West odds
The Arizona Cardinals were eliminated from the NFC West race in 2020.
Cardinals win totals
8 wins (-110 over)/(-110 under)
Analysts have made it known that Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ full potential could be being held back by Kliff Kingsbury. Until they prove otherwise, or until another coach comes to town, Arizona will be projected to be a perennial 0.500 finisher.
Arizona Cardinals 2021 schedule and betting odds
Check back for the complete Cardinals 2021 schedule along with the opening spreads for every game.
How to bet on the Arizona Cardinals
Moneyline
The moneyline is the simplest of bets, decided by the straight-up winner and loser of each game. Consider the following example:
- Cardinals -135
- Giants +180
The Cardinals are considered favorites in this matchup (indicated by -135), requiring a $135 bet to win $100 (plus the initial bet back). The Giants are the underdog in this matchup, paying out $280 total for a $100 bet ($180 in winnings). How much either team wins or loses by does not matter in moneyline betting, the payout remains the same.
Point spread
Betting on the point spread is determinant on how many points a team wins or loses by. Take the following example:
- Cardinals -4.5 (-110)
- Broncos +4.5 (-110)
In this example, Arizona is favored by 4.5 points, indicated by “-4.5.” If the Cardinals win the game 27-20, the Cardinals (-4.5) win the bet and would have a total payout of $19.09 on a $10 bet ($9.09 in profit). If the Broncos keep the game within five and lose 23-21, the Broncos (+4.5) would win, and the payout would be the same as listed above.
Point total (over/under)
The point total refers to the over/under line set by books. This number projects the total number of points scored in a game and, like prop betting, is bet whether one thinks the score will go over or under the set point total. For example, the Cardinals’ Week 10 matchup with the Buffalo Bills had a projected point total of 56.5 points. Arizona won the game 32-30 in thrilling fashion, resulting in 62 combined points. Those that bet over the point total would have cashed out that week.
The Cardinals offense, led by Kyler Murray, proved they were able to score quickly and efficiently. However, it was inconsistent at times and the team as a whole was marred by penalties. These factors usually balanced out to give the Cardinals average over/under totals, frequently between 48 and 53 points.
In-play and live betting
Sometimes, the most thrilling and rewarding bets are bets made while games are being played. These are referred to as live bets or in-play bets. Odds are ever-changing during games, which would prove to be fruitful for sharp and prepared bettors. For example, if the Cardinals (-225) were heavily favored against the Jaguars (+190) before kickoff, a payout on a $10 bet on the Cardinals to win would win just $4.44.
However, say the Cardinals fell to a big 21-3 deficit in the first half despite controlling the overall game (due to a costly turnover or special teams gaffe). Odds may swing in favor of the Jaguars, who may be a -110 favorite at halftime. Taking the Cardinals to come back and win the game could present plus-odds (say, +110). Should a bettor take Arizona (+110) at halftime and the Cardinals pull off the comeback, winners would win $11 instead of $4.44 (plus the initial $10 bet).
This could also be an effective way to “hedge” your bet; say a bettor took the Jaguars (+190) in that game, but Arizona jumps out to a 20-3 first half lead and is controlling the overall feel of the game, bettors could hedge by throwing some money down on Arizona (-255) to return some of the inevitably-lost bet.
Parlays and teasers
You can always string bets together in the form of parlays or teasers. Usually during busy Sundays, bettors can parlay several teams to win or cover against the spread and if all bets are successful, the payouts are multiplied. Teasers function similarly, except they allow bettors to move each point spread to a more favorable line in exchange for diminished odds.
Cardinals 2020 recap
Record: 8-8
Record ATS: 7-9
Over/under record: 5-11
Arizona was right on the doorstep of making the NFC Playoffs until that hope was derailed by two consecutive losses to end their season. Instead, Murray and the Cardinals were sent home early. It was hard not to notice the flashes of brilliance this season– highlighted by their 32-30 win over Buffalo that’s marked in history– but ultimately poor coaching and game planning led the Cardinals to a forgettable 0.500 record. While Kliff Kingsbury is returning for 2021, there’s no question that if things don’t turn around, the 2021 season will be his last.
For every thrilling win against the Bills and Seahawks, there was an equally-disappointing loss to the Panthers and Lions. It resulted in the Cardinals coming up short against the spread and, more noticeably, against the point total. The lethal offense wasn’t operating at full potential for most of the season, especially during crunch time. Across those last two losses that put the final nails in the Playoff coffin, Arizona scored just 12 and seven points, respectively.
Cardinals 2021 offseason moves
Key trades: C Rodney Hudson (from Raiders)
Key re-signings: LB Markus Golden (two years, $5 million), G Kelvin Beachum (two years, $4 million)
Key free agent losses: EDGE Hasson Reddick (to Panthers), RB Kenyan Drake (to Raiders), CB Patrick Peterson (to Vikings), DL Angelo Blackson (to Bears)
Key free agent signings: EDGE J.J. Watt (two years, $28 million), WR A.J. Green (one year, $6 million), RB James Conner (one year, $1.8 million)
Draft pick position needs: CB, OL