49ers vs. Cardinals Week 5 Prediction
NFC West rivals collide in Arizona on Sunday when Kyler Murray and the Cardinals host the 49ers and Trey Lance, who will make his NFL starting debut. Is red-hot Arizona the best play as a 5.5-point home favorite?
Game Snapshot
475 San Francisco 49ers (+5.5) at 476 Arizona Cardinals (-5.5); o/u 48.5
4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, October 10, 2021
NFL Week 5 Regular Season
San Francisco 49ers DFS Spin
49ers placed George Kittle (calf) on injured reserve. NBC’s Matt Maiocco added that the team believes that Kittle would be dealing with the calf issue all season if he tried to play through it. Placing him on injured reserve knocks him out for three weeks but it should help ensure that the injury doesn’t get worse as the year goes on. Maiocco added that “there’s a good chance” Kittle will be back for the 49ers’ Week 9 matchup with the Cardinals. Ross Dwelley will start for San Francisco while Kittle is sidelined. Dwelley is a viable streaming tight end while Deebo Samuel, with less competition for targets, should continue posting elite numbers until Kittle returns. The star tight end’s absence could give Brandon Aiyuk a path toward a larger role.
Arizona Cardinals DFS Spin
Kyler Murray completed 24-of-32 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 37-20, Week 4 win over the Rams, adding six carries for 39 additional yards. Murray’s quietest box score of the season was the first time he was held out of the end zone on the ground in 2021, but he was still tormenting the Rams with his legs by getting outside the pocket and extending plays. Murray’s passing scores were a 41-yard strike to A.J. Green where AJG just beat the defense down the field and a 14-yarder to emerging TE2 consideration Maxx Williams. Murray has played at an MVP level as the Cards have raced to a 4-0 record despite some sloppy mistakes. They are dangerous enough on offense right now to overcome penalties and time management miscues. The reeling 49ers are a wild card Week 5 matchup.
49ers vs. Cardinals Betting Prediction
The 49ers are just 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games versus the Cardinals and are 4-9 at the betting window in their last 13 games overall. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have covered in four straight games played in October and are 5-1 against the number in their last six games when playing in Week 5. They’re taking on a rookie quarterback making his first career NFL start and he won’t have one of his top weapons (Kittle) in the passing game. Let’s not overthink this one.
NFL WEEK 5 BETTING PREDICTION: ARIZONA CARDINALS -5.5