The Arizona Cardinals are just one win away from equaling the best start in franchise history.
The team started 6-0 in 1974, back when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. In order to reach that 6-0 mark this season, the Cards will need to take down the Cleveland Browns on the road. It will be a matchup between two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and products of the Oklahoma Sooners.
It is also a matchup of two teams with hopes of winning the Super Bowl this season. Sportsbooks in Arizona like the home team, but some eager bettors are looking to see the Cardinals maintain their lead in the NFC West — and some long-shot hopes that they will finish the season without a single loss.
Arizona Cardinals slight underdogs at Cleveland Browns
Most online sportsbooks in Arizona have got the Cardinals as the underdogs against the Browns. Right now, the point spread for the Cards is at . As for the moneyline, it currently sits at for Arizona to remain unbeaten.
The over/under for the game is set at points. That reflects two high-scoring offenses, with Arizona averaging 31.4 points per game and Cleveland putting up 28.4 points. Both defenses are in the top 15 in the league in terms of points allowed. The Cardinals actually rank sixth in that category. So the over/under bet might be one to stay away from.
This is another chance for Cardinals fans to cash in. It will be the third game this season that Arizona enters the week as betting underdogs. As the Cards’ record indicates, they are 2-0 in those games. They upset both the Tennessee Titans and the Los Angeles Rams on the road. Both Arizona and the Browns are also hoping to make a run at a championship this season.
Ex-Oklahoma teammates Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield go head to head
Kyler Murray followed Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma, transferring from Texas A&M to the Sooners, and sat behind Mayfield while he was finishing up his college career. The Sooners went 12-2 in 2017 with Mayfield at the helm, losing in double overtime to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinals. They did the same under Murray in 2018, losing in the semifinals to Alabama.
Sunday will mark the second time Murray and Mayfield meet as pros. The first came on Dec. 15, 2019, in Glendale. The Cardinals won that game as Murray put the finishing touches on an offensive rookie of the year campaign.
Over at FanDuel Sportsbook AZ, the expectation is that both quarterbacks have decent games on Sunday. Murray’s over/under for passing yards is at 257.5. Meanwhile, Mayfield’s is at 233.5.
Arizona Cardinals (5-0) at Cleveland Browns (3-2)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 17
Time: 1:05 p.m. MST
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium – Cleveland, Ohio
TV Coverage: FOX
Could the Arizona Cardinals put together a perfect season?
Knock on wood, but let’s talk about 17-0. It is a seemingly impossible feat in the NFL. Anyone that is superstitious may say it is taboo to even think about it. But if you are a bettor, you could hit it big. So let’s talk about it.
Only two teams in the history of the NFL have finished the regular season unbeaten. The 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 2007 New England Patriots. In this 2021 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals are the league’s last undefeated team.
Some sportsbooks in Arizona are giving bettors the chance to put money down on the Cards to not only finish the regular season without a loss but to also take it all the way and win the Super Bowl.
For perspective, DraftKings Sportsbook AZ has odds on the Arizona Cardinals to go 17-0 at +10000. The odds that they run the table to go 20-0 and win the Super Bowl are at +20000. Similarly, BetMGM Arizona has the Cardinals 17-0 odds at +8000 and also has the 20-0 odds at +20000.
In 2007, the Tom Brady-led Patriots, ran the table in the regular season and went 16-0. However, they would go on to lose to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. One win short of the perfect season and joining those ’72 Dolphins as the only teams to accomplish that feat.
In a tradition, members of the 1972 team pop champagne in celebration of once again remaining the only team to complete the perfect season, including a Super Bowl win. Back then, the regular season was only 14 games. So in 2021, the Cardinals would have to achieve that same feat, plus add three additional wins to achieve the perfect regular season.
OK. We talked about it. Let’s revisit this if the Cards stay unbeaten for a few more weeks.
