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Charlie Grant
Cardinals vs. 49ers Point Spread: NFL Week 5 Odds, Prediction
This is a matchup between two teams more likely to be the finalists for the first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft and not the NFC title game. Rookie Josh Rosen tries to pick up his first career win as a pro when he and the Arizona Cardinals visit San Francisco to take on the 49ers.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The 49ers opened as 4-point home favourites for this Week 5 contest and the spread has grown to 4.5 as we edge closer to game day.
The Cardinals are the NFL’s lone winless team at 0-4 but they’ve covered the spread in two of their four games including last weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. San Fran is 1-3 straight up and against the spread this year and 4-12 ATS in its last 16 home games.
The total opened at 41 and that’s where we stand heading into the weekend. The Under is 4-0 in the Cards’ last four games but the Over is 6-1 in the Niners’ last seven.
About 60 percent of bettors are backing the Cardinals to cover as 4.5-point underdogs while 79 percent expect this game to go Over the 41-point total.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are 0-4 for the first time since 1986 and they’re starting their youngest player under centre since 1933. Josh Rosen doesn’t turn 22 until next February. Yes, it’s fair to say this is a rebuilding year for the football fans in the desert.
The club has just five offensive touchdowns in four games and running back David Johnson has accounted for three of those trips to the end zone.
Arizona holds the dishonourable tag of the NFL team with the longest odds to win the Super Bowl. Oddsmakers have the Cards as +50,000 longshots to lift the Lombardi Trophy in February.
San Francisco 49ers
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan is considered a leading offensive mind in the game today, but he’s been stripped of most of his key playmakers. Gone are starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and starting running back Jerick McKinnon with ACL injuries.
Fantasy players were calling for a big year from Marquise Goodwin but the wideout is dealing with quad and hamstring injuries. Tight end George Kittle has been San Fran’s most reliable offensive player thus far. The second-year pro out of Iowa leads the Niners in receptions (18), targets (28) and receiving yards (316) so far this year.
