The Arizona Cardinals have a shot at matching the franchise’s best start to a season at home Sunday afternoon.
The NFL’s last undefeated team hosts the 1-5 Houston Texans, with the game kicking off at 1:25 p.m. Arizona time on CBS.
The Cardinals have gained the interest of Arizona NFL sportsbook bettors, as they are 6-0 for the second time in franchise history. It comes 47 years after the then St. Louis Cardinals began the season 7-0, en route to a 10-4 record.
The Cardinals are a significant favorite at Arizona sports betting apps to match that mark Sunday.
Cardinals Huge Favorites Against Texans
The Cardinals enter Sunday’s clash with the team’s best odds of the season, as a trio of Arizona sportsbooks have them as a three-score favorite.
BetMGM Arizona, DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona have the Cardinals at -17 (-110) — which is the team’s first double-digit spread of the season.
For those looking to make a moneyline wager, BetMGM Arizona has the Cardinals at -1667, while DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona has them at -1250, and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona has the home side at -1200 on Sunday.
Both BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona have the over/under at 47 total points, while FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona has it at 47.5.
The Cardinals are 5-1 against the spread this season, with the team’s lone non-cover coming in Week 2 when they beat the Minnesota Vikings, 34-33, as a 2.5-point favorite.
Kyler Murray’s MVP Odds
Another ongoing storyline for the Cardinals in 2021 has been the play of third-year QB Kyler Murray.
Murray currently ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards (1,741), passing touchdowns (14) and quarterback rating (68.0) — and is currently on pace to set career marks for passing yards per game (289), completion percentage (73.8%) and passing touchdowns (projected at 40).
That surge in production has propelled the former Heisman Trophy winner into having a share of the best NFL MVP betting odds at BetMGM Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona (+400), while Caesars Sportsbook has Murray alone at the top at +350.
Murray should be able to take advantage of a porous Texans secondary Sunday, facing a defense that’s allowing 249.8 passing yards per game — which ranks 18th in the NFL.
The Texans surrendered 223 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 31-3 shellacking at the hands of the 2-4 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday — which means Murray’s MVP odds could narrow again by next week.
How the Cardinals Got to 6-0
The Cardinals earned their sixth consecutive win Sunday, thanks in large part to their dominant defensive play.
The team’s defensive line crushed Browns’ QB Baker Mayfield to the tune of five sacks in Arizona’s 37-14 victory, while forcing the former Oklahoma Sooner to toss an interception and fumble the ball twice in the shellacking.
Arizona’s offense put the game out of reach in the first half, when Murray hit wideouts Christian Kirk and DeAndre Hopkins for a pair of passing touchdowns, while kicker Matt Prater connected on all three of his field goal attempts.
Hopkins and A.J. Green both hauled in touchdown grabs in the game’s second half to seal the Cardinals’ victory.
Murray finished with 229 passing yards, hitting 20-of-30 pass attempts with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. James Conner led the Cardinals running attack with 71 yards on 16 carries. And all that production game with coach Kliff Kingsbury at home after a positive COVID-19 test Friday. The Cardinals were also missing quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and two defensive linemen due to COVID protocols.
Arizona’s defense added five sacks, improving the team’s standing to fifth in the league in the category with 16 in six games.
How the Cardinals Have Fared Against Houston
The Cardinals and Texans have limited history against each other, facing off four times between 2005 and 2017.
The two sides have split their past contests, with the Cardinals winning in 2013 (27-24) and 2009 (28-21), while falling in 2017 (31-21) and 2005 (30-19).
Arizona’s 31-21 loss to Houston four years ago saw then Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins bring in four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinals’ QB in that contest was Blaine Gabbert, who went 22-of-34 for 257 yards and three touchdowns, tossing two interceptions in the loss.
Fast forward four years, and so much has changed. Hopkins will be donning Sedona red and white, Arizona looks to move to 7-0 for the first time since 1974, and Cardinals fans can back their team at any number of Arizona sportsbooks.
