The Arizona Cardinals have a shot at notching the best start in the franchise’s 102-year history Thursday night.
That’s when the 7-0 Cardinals will host the 6-1 Green Bay Packers in the first primetime NFL game in the state since online sports betting in Arizona launched Sept. 9.
The Cardinals and Packers face off at 5:20 p.m. Arizona time, with FOX and the NFL Network carrying the game live nationally.
Arizona Cardinals Favored Over Packers
The early spread from Arizona sports betting apps has the Cardinals as a slight favorite in Arizona NFL betting over the Packers.
Among the operators that list Arizona as a favorite are BetMGM Arizona, which has the Cardinals at -3.5 (-105), DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, which has them at -4 (-110), and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona, which has the Cardinals at -3.5 (-105).
For those looking to plunk down a moneyline wager, BetMGM Arizona has the Cardinals at -175, while DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona has them at -200, and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona has the home team at -184.
FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona and DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona agree on the over/under Thursday, listing it at 52.5 (-110) total points, with BetMGM Arizona listing the contest at 53.5 (-110).
This season, the Cardinals are 6-1 against the spread. They failed to cover in Week 2 when they beat the Minnesota Vikings, 34-33, as a 2.5-point favorite.
How the Cardinals Got to 7-0
The Cardinals shellacked Houston on Sunday, 31-5, clinching the franchise’s seventh consecutive victory.
Sunday’s one-sided win allowed Arizona to match the 1974 St. Louis Cardinals for the best start in franchise history.
The Cardinals scored 31 unanswered points to put away the Texans, thanks in large part to the performance by third-year quarterback Kyler Murray.
The former Heisman Trophy winner finished Sunday’s game with 261 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 20-of-28 pass attempts. Murray is now alone atop BetMGM’s NFL MVP odds at +350 (Dallas’ Dak Prescott is second at +400). A week ago, Murray and Prescott shared the best MVP odds at +400.
Other Cardinals standouts in the win over the Texans included running back Chase Edmonds, who led all starters with 81 rushing yards, while fellow back James Conner had 64 yards and the game’s lone rushing touchdown.
Tight end Zach Ertz and receiver A.J. Green each had 66 receiving yards to lead the Cardinals, while DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk had a receiving touchdown apiece.
Arizona a Super Bowl Contender
The Cardinals’ odds at winning the franchise’s first NFL championship continue to improve, with the team ranking in the top five on several sites in Super Bowl betting odds.
The franchise is ranked third overall on FanDuel at +850 and fourth overall on BetMGM (+850) and Caesars (+900).
At TwinSpires Sportsbook Arizona, the Cardinals have the fourth-best Super Bowl odds at +1000.
Cardinals Thursday Night Football Struggles
The Cardinals have had their fair share of struggles on Thursday Night Football, going 4-7 since the weekly games were introduced in 2008.
Arizona has lost its last four TNF contests, falling to the Seahawks (22-16) in 2017, the Broncos (45-10) in 2018, the 49ers (28-25) in 2019 and to Seattle again, 28-21, in 2020.
The franchise’s last TNF victory came in 2016, when the Cardinals hammered the 49ers, 33-21, on their way to a 7-8-1 season.
A win over Aaron Rodgers and the red-hot Packers on Thursday night will give Kliff Kingsbury’s team a 1.5-game lead over the 6-1 Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West with nine games to play in the regular season.
