Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Odds & Game Pick (2021)

Sep 24, 2021 - 9:57 PM

Kyler Murray is having an MVP-caliber season so far. He has 689 passing yards, seven touchdowns, 51 yards rushing, and two more rushing touchdowns through two games. The Arizona Cardinals are playing through their quarterback this year, but they have weapons around him. DeAndre Hopkins, A.J Green, Rondale Moore, and Christian Kirk can step up when this team needs them. That creates issues for opposing defenses. Jacksonville will have their hands full this week trying to contain Murray and company. 

Jacksonville has been developing this year. Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawerence will continue to have growing pains, which has included five interceptions through two games. Jacksonville will struggle against an Arizona team that has looked excellent. Meanwhile, Jacksonville has been in the bottom six for both the defense and offensive rankings this year.

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Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Details

• Opening Lines: Arizona Cardinals -7.0, Total 49,
• Last Game: November 26, 2017, Arizona Cardinals 27-24
• Winning Streak: Arizona Cardinals (3)
• The last time the Arizona Cardinals lost to Jacksonville was November 27, 2005
• Jacksonville is 0-2 against the spread this year
• Arizona is 1-1 against the spread this year

Overview

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have been hitting on all cylinders this year. Arizona is averaging 445 yards and 36 points per game. Jacksonville will struggle to stop this offense. They are giving up an average of 423.5 yards and 30 points per game to teams that do not have as much talent on offense as the Cardinals. Arizona can throw the ball with Kyler. They are third in the league in passing offense, averaging 325.5 yards passing a game. Jacksonville has struggled with stopping the passing game, giving up almost 300 yards per game. With Murray’s ability to extend plays with his legs, the Cardinals can put up points against Jacksonville’s defense, 

Arizona’s defense hasn’t been as great as the offense, but they are above average. Jacksonville has struggled with turnovers. Expect Arizona to be able to force Trevor Lawerence into turnovers which will create additional opportunities for Arizona’s offense. Any of these opportunities could be the difference in covering the spread in this matchup. Jacksonville will take risks to keep up with the dynamic Arizona offense. Arizona is playing against a rookie quarterback, and the defense will take full advantage and get the ball back into Murray’s hands to cover the spread. 

Jacksonville has struggled against the spread recently, going 1-5 ATS in their last six games. Their offense isn’t good enough to score consistently, and the defense isn’t good enough to prevent teams from getting into the end zone. Arizona is explosive in the passing game, where Jacksonville struggles the most. Arizona is too good for this young, inexperienced Jacksonville team to stop. 

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Bottom Line

Arizona is the second-best offense in the NFL. They are going to be able to score points on a bottom-five defense. This game is a great matchup for them as well. They want to play through their passing game, which is Jacksonville’s biggest weakness. I teased the spread down half a point to make a touchdown a win instead of a push. I think they still cover by more than seven with how bad Jacksonville’s been against the spread, but I like having the cushion.

Pick: Arizona Cardinals -6.5 (-120)

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