SNF Betting Odds: Cardinals vs. Seahawks
Carrie Stroup here with your SNF betting odds for the Cardinals vs. Seahawks game Sportsbook.ag Line: Seattle -3, Total: 44
ARIZONA CARDINALS (6-2) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-4)
The Cardinals will try to stay perched atop the NFC West as they pay a Sunday night visit to their divisional rival Seahawks.
Arizona (6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS) is leading the division, fresh off a bye week, and beat AFC North opponents Baltimore and Cleveland prior to that week off. Meanwhile, reigning NFC Champion Seattle (4-4 SU and 2-5-1 ATS) is also coming off a bye week, but has been streaky through the first half of the season, with its four victories coming against teams with just nine combined wins.
Since 1992, these teams have been evenly matched, with the Seahawks holding a slight 16-13 SU (15-14 ATS) edge over the Cardinals, including 3-1 SU and ATS in the past two seasons. The most recent matchup was a December 2014 rout that saw Seattle hang 35 points and 596 total offensive yards on their opponents.
Bettors favoring Arizona will note that the team is 14-3 ATS off one or more straight overs in the past three seasons, and 9-1 ATS off a non-conference game under the tenure of head coach Bruce Arians. Nevertheless, Seattle is the small favorite on Sunday and has excelled in the second half of the past three seasons (13-4 ATS) and is 10-2 ATS after allowing 17 points or less in two straight games over the same time period.
After a spate of injuries in the first two months of the year, the Cardinals are mostly healthy coming out of their bye week, with no new injuries to report. The Seahawks are in fairly decent shape as well, though OT Russell Okung (ankle) and WR Paul Richardson (knee) are listed as questionable for Sunday night.
Arizona has been an offensive juggernaut over the first half of the season, averaging 32.9 PPG (2nd in NFL) and 417.4 YPG (3rd in league). QB Carson Palmer has had a stellar season, tallying 298.2 passing YPG (6th in NFL) on a league-leading 9.2 yards per passing attempt. He’s also throwing touchdowns on an NFL best 7.7% of his passes. Palmer hasn’t traditionally fared as well against Seattle though, throwing for just 3 TD and 8 INT over three meetings.
The Cardinals’ rushing game has been a strong complement to Palmer’s prowess, with a rejuvenated RB Chris Johnson leading the team’s ground attack, which has amassed 125 YPG and 8 TD (both 9th best in league). Arizona struggled in the run game against Seattle last season, putting up a scant 64 and 29 yards in the two meetings.
The Cardinals defense has been nearly as solid as their offense, allowing just 19.1 PPG (7th in NFL) on 313 total YPG (3rd in league) while generating 17 turnovers. This includes a league-best 13 interceptions.
Seattle’s offense has struggled thus far in 2015, generating just 20.9 PPG (24th in NFL), five points fewer per game than it averaged last season. QB Russell Wilson is connecting on a career-high 69% of his passes, but the team opts to throw the third-fewest in the NFL, and is towards the bottom of the league with 214 passing YPG (28th of 32) and nine passing touchdowns (26th of 32). Newly-acquired TE Jimmy Graham has been Wilson’s favorite target on the season, though he’s on pace for his lowest production since his rookie campaign.
Star RB Marshawn Lynch, who has been hampered by nagging injuries, has similarly seen a downturn in productivity, finding the end zone just twice and averaging only 3.6 yards per attempt on 103 runs, behind both Wilson (5.4 YPC on 58 runs) and backup RB Thomas Rawls (5.4 YPC on 69 runs).
The Seahawks’ defense has been the team’s saving grace this season, holding opponents to a stingy 17.5 PPG and 285 YPG (both 2nd in league). The secondary has been particularly effective against the pass, allowing just 186 YPG and six touchdowns (both 2nd in NFL).
