The historic start to the 2021 NFL season has given the Arizona Cardinals strong odds at capturing the team’s first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
The Cardinals’ most recent triumph came in Los Angeles on Sunday as they dispatched the previously undefeated Rams, 37-20, to improve to 4-0 for the season.
It was Arizona’s second consecutive double-digit victory. In Week 3, the Cardinals hammered the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31-19.
The Cardinals square off against another NFC West division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, on Sunday at 1:25 p.m. Arizona time Sunday, with FOX carrying the contest live nationally. At Arizona betting apps the Cardinals are 4.5- to 5.5-point favorites.
Sports betting in Arizona launched with the start of the NFL season on Sept. 9.
Cardinals’ Super Bowl Odds
The Cardinals’ win also boosted their Super Bowl odds, with BetMGM Arizona giving Arizona the seventh-best title odds, at +1400.
TwinSpires Arizona has coach Kliff Kingsbury’s team at +1500, which is the eighth-best odds of any NFL squad.
Others, like Caesars Sportsbook Arizona, DraftKings Arizona and FanDuel Arizona give the Cardinals +1600 odds of winning Super Bowl LVI, ranking 8th overall in the league in that category.
How the Cardinals Got to 4-0
The Cardinals secured their fourth straight victory on Sunday by tearing up the Rams’ vaunted defense in all facets of the game.
Third year QB Kyler Murray finds himself as the leader in the chase to win the 2021 NFL Most Valuable Player award, with FanDuel Sportsbook giving the former Heisman Trophy winner +500 odds to win it.
Murray continued his red-hot start to the 2021 season Sunday, completing 24-of-32 passes for 268 yards, with two passing touchdowns and zero interceptions, in the Cardinals’ 17-point victory at SoFi Stadium.
Murray is shattering his career-high marks for completion percentage (76.1%), yards per completion (9.5) and passing yards per game (318.25) this year.
The dynamic quarterback was far from the only one in Sedona red and white to sparkle on Sunday, however. Running back Chase Edmonds added 120 rushing yards on 12 carries in the victory.
The Cardinals scored 17 points in the second quarter to take a 24-13 lead at the break.
Arizona then iced the victory in the second half, thanks to two field goals by veteran kicker Matt Prater and running back James Conner’s second of two 1-yard rushing touchdowns.
Cardinals Welcome San Francisco 49ers to Glendale
The Cardinals have a shot at starting a season 5-0 for the first time since 1974 on Sunday, when they host the 49ers.
San Francisco (2-2) enters Sunday’s game off consecutive losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers opened the season with wins over the Detroit Lions (41-33) and Philadelphia Eagles (17-11) but have been derailed of late by an inefficient offense that has outgained its opponents by 158 yards this season but has been stifled by a minus-5-turnover ratio.
In Arizona NFL betting, the Cardinals are 5.5-point favorites over the 49ers, per DraftKings, as of Monday afternoon. BetMGM has Arizona at -5 and FanDuel has the Cards at -4.5 over San Francisco.
The two teams split their games in 2020, with the Cardinals beating San Francisco on the road, 24-20, before falling in Week 16 at home, 20-12.
Arizona’s last home win over San Francisco came on Oct. 28, 2018, when the Cardinals beat the 49ers, 18-15.
Whether the Cardinals can one-up the 49ers to achieve a feat 47 years in the making remains to be seen.
What appears set in stone, at least according to oddsmakers, is that Murray and Co. have favorable odds at doing just that come Sunday afternoon.
