49ers vs Cardinals matchup preview and current betting lines
The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals will pack their bags, grab their passports, and head to Mexico City for another edition of the NFL’s international games. And even though this is a Cardinals ‘home’ game, you better believe the stadium will be packed with Niners fans.
Kyle Shanahan has once again taken his coaching record to .500, so some could be tempted to fade him as a loss should be all but guaranteed. At least, that would be the case if he weren’t to face Kliff Kingsbury on the other side of the field.
Kingsbury’s hot seat is getting hotter, so getting an unlikely win over the Los Angeles Rams last week may have granted him some peace of mind, especially considering Kyler Murray is expected to be back on the field after a one-game absence.
The Cardinals sure have more than enough weapons to be a major threat. However, coaching, decision-making, and underperformance during key stretches have doomed what was once a promising and make-or-break season.
Players to watch:
Christian McCaffrey: The Niners traded for Christian McCaffrey and then gave Elijah Mitchell 18 rushing attempts. Still, CMC got involved, and he’s perhaps the most disruptive offensive player in the league when healthy.
DeAndre Hopkins: DeAndre Hopkins is a walking highlight reel, and he’s on a mission to silence his critics after missing the first third of the season with a PED suspension. He’ll put on a show for the Mexican fans, that’s for sure.
Week 11 Predictions: NFL Bet of the week on 49ers vs Cardinals
49ers -8
The opening 49ers vs Cardinals spread has the San Francisco 49ers favored by 8 points. We’re talking about a divisional matchup played overseas, so that speaks volumes as to how superior the Niners have been to the rest of the division this season.
The Arizona Cardinals have one of the worst head coaches in the league, not to mention an underperforming defense that has struggled against the run all season long. That’s a recipe for disaster when facing the Niners.
While Kyler Muray will have Rondale Moore, James Conner, and DeAndre Hopkins at his disposal, the loss of Zach Ertz will be brutal to the passing game, especially with his blocking. And they’ve made way too many mistakes this season.
Deebo Samuel, Elijah Mitchell, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey will wreak havoc on Mexican soil. The Niners would’ve been 10+ point favorites if this game were to be played at Levi’s Stadium or if they had a good QB.
Over 43.5
The opening 49ers vs Cardinals odds have this game sitting at 43.5 points, which seems fair here. The Arizona Cardinals have kind of struggled offensively, especially early in games, even with Murray and all of his weapons.
The Niners, on the other hand, have had no trouble finding the endzone and moving the chains with their running game, but the passing game continues to be suspect with hand-off/check-down specialist Jimmy Garoppolo behind center.
But this game should see plenty of scoring chances. NFL referees always favor offensive games overseas, especially if those games are played in primetime. So, expect multiple suspicious and head-scratching pass interference calls.
Also, the Niners’ running game should crush the Cardinals’ defense. CMC and Mitchell will run like a hot knife through butter and put up plenty of points on the scoreboard. We could be looking at a 30-20 kind of game here.
FAQs about Niners vs Cardinals
Yes, they play in the NFC West.
The Niners.
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