San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals: Betting Odds, Analysis and Prediction

The Arizona Cardinals will look to improve to 3-0 for the second time in three years when they host the San Francisco 49ers, who are coming off a disappointing loss when they disintegrated on Sunday Night Football.

The Cardinals started 4-0 in 2012 before dropping 11 of 12 games, and they will be facing a San Francisco team on Sunday that blew a 17-0 lead in a 28-20 home loss to the Chicago Bears as a seven-point home favorite to even its record at 1-1.

The 49ers have dominated the Cardinals over the years and have been dominant as road chalk as well.

Point Spread: The 49ers opened as two-point favorites, and the spread has risen to three points as of Thursday morning. The total sits at 42.

Odds Shark Computer Prediction: Cardinals 29, 49ers 28

Why the 49ers Can Cover the Spread

The 49ers appeared in control of their game against the Bears, but quarterback Colin Kaepernick turned the ball over four times with three interceptions and one fumble.

They won their season opener away from home against the Dallas Cowboys 28-17, covering easily as three-point favorites and improving to 10-1-1 against the spread in their last 12 games as road chalk.

San Francisco has also dominated Arizona over the past few years with a 9-2 mark against the spread in the last 11 meetings between the teams, including a sweep in 2013.

The 49ers just need to do a better job of protecting the football and pressuring whoever is under center for Arizona, whether it’s Carson Palmer or Drew Stanton.

Why the Cardinals Can Cover the Spread

The Cardinals have excelled in the role of home underdogs, going 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games under that scenario. Stanton played fairly well last week in a 25-14 victory against the New York Giants, as he was not asked to do too much in his fifth career start and first since 2010 with the Detroit Lions.

If Palmer is forced to sit out again with a shoulder injury, Stanton is more than capable of stepping up—especially at home where he will get plenty of support from the fans.

Arizona’s defense also had to like what it saw from the Bears last week against the 49ers, as the unit thrives at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Cardinals will also be out for revenge after their NFC West rivals beat them 23-20 as three-point underdogs in last year’s season finale.

Smart Pick

San Francisco has dropped two games in a row only twice over the past three years, with both of those small skids taking place last season.

The 49ers lost two straight after an impressive 34-28 win over the Green Bay Packers last year in their season opener, and they will be playing a Cardinals team that has gone just 1-4 straight up and ATS in their last five home games against NFC West opponents.

Last season, San Francisco bounced back with a 35-11 rout of the St. Louis Rams on the road in Week 4 following a 1-2 start. This game is set up very similarly to that situation even though it’s coming earlier in the schedule.

The loss to Chicago may have brought the line down a bit. Combined with Arizona being 2-0, this gives bettors some nice value on the 49ers.

They are one of the top consensus betting plays of Week 3, according to the Odds Shark data, with more than 60 percent of bettors siding with them.

Trends

• The 49ers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 meetings with the Cardinals.
• The 49ers are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games as road favorites (7-0-1 ATS last eight).
• The 49ers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. NFC West.
• The Cardinals are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as home underdogs.

All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow us on Twitter for injury and line movement updates.