The Arizona Cardinals got blown out by the Chiefs in Week 1 (who look like they could be Super Bowl bound again). A team that started 7-0 in 2021, finished the season 11-6 and got beat by three touchdowns in the Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champs, the Rams. The Cardinals hope to be back in the playoffs this year but have some obstacles to overcome.
The Oakland Raiders had a busy off-season with some major personnel changes including the hiring of Dave Ziegler as General Manager and Josh McDaniels as their head coach. Plus, the addition of Davante Adams to an already stellar receiving corps on paper should help them get back in the playoffs, though it may take a few weeks for them to gel with the new coaching staff.
Cardinals vs. Raiders Week 2 NFL Betting Picks & Predictions
Cardinals Offense Gets Rollin’
Although the Cardinals lost by 23 points to the Chiefs, their offense didn’t look that bad. Murray was only sacked twice and escaped without a turnover. They were down 14-0 early, so their offense couldn’t get going in the way they would have liked. James Conner only had 10 carries for 26 yards, while Marquise Brown only caught four passes on six targets.
Murray and the Cardinals have already said they want to get Brown the ball more, so he could see 10 or more targets this week. It’s a great matchup for Brown against a Raiders defense that had no sacks and allowed three touchdowns passing last week.
Zach Ertz is expected to get a larger workload this week as they ease him into things from preseason injuries. He logged 29 snaps on offense — Brown was at 44, for comparison. Andy Isabella and Rondale Moore have been ruled out, Eno Benjamin and Greg Dortch will get more opportunities. If the Cardinals can keep former teammate Chandler Jones in check, Murray should have plenty of time to throw and run if he chooses.
Derek Carr Settles Down at Home
Adams had his way with the Chargers in Week 1, catching 10 passes on 15 targets for 141 yards and a touchdown. One would think Derek Carr had a good day after seeing Adams’ numbers, but he did not. Carr was sacked five times and threw three interceptions. Hunter Renfrow ended with six targets after not seeing the ball once in the first half, while Daren Waller caught four passes for 79 yards.
Carr will see an easier matchup this week aganist a Cardinals secondary that got torched for five touchdowns by Patrick Mahomes. Carr isn’t quite Mahomes, but he is more than capable of having a great game with the weapons he has. The Chargers defense held Mahomes to 235 yards passing and two touchdowns on Thursday night, showing that their defense is legit, so Carr’s Week 1 performance is not concerning. The home crowd and some adjustments from McDaniels will allow Carr to produce a big game.
Cardinals vs. Raiders Prediction
This line opened with the Raiders favored by 3 points and has moved to 6 since Moore and Isabella were ruled out, while J.J. Watt‘s status is still in question (he did not play in Week 1). The Raiders were 1-5 against the spread as favorites in 2021, while the Cardinals were 6-1 against the spread as underdogs in 2021. There are multiple bets to make in this one, including taking the Cardinals +5.5 (BetMGM) and over 51.5 (+100, PointsBet), but there is easy money on Carr’s passing touchdowns prop. Parlaying these three bets could be viable as well.
NFL Best Bet: Derek Carr Over 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-190) BetMGM
