San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals Betting Preview

An exciting NFC West matchup is on tap for Saturday afternoon as the Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers.

It's been a lost season for the defending NFC champion 49ers, as injuries have plagued the team since September. But a strong finish against two teams in the division would ease some of the sting as they head into an uncertain offseason.

For Arizona, two straight wins have put the Cardinals in position to make the postseason for the first time since 2015. More than 500 total yards of offense paced the Cardinals last week vs. Philadelphia. However, the San Francisco defense, in spite of the team's 5-9 record, has still been very good in 2020.

The Line: 49ers at Cardinals (-5)

When looking at its most recent play, it's easy to see why Arizona is a five-point favorite. The Cardinals beat the Giants and Eagles in their last two games, and both games covered the spread.

San Francisco, on the other hand, has lost three straight, and in all three games, the 49ers failed to cover the spread. In fact, the Niners have only covered one spread in their last seven games - a three-point win over the Rams in Week 11.

San Francisco 49ers

An NFL season can be cruel. Expectations were sky-high in San Francisco after the 49ers came within a quarter of winning Super Bowl LIV. 

But then Solomon Thomas and Nick Bosa both tore their ACLs. George Kittle got hurt. Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt. 

The 49ers found themselves with as many good players on injured reserve as there were suiting up on Sunday.

It's a credit to the rest of the team's talent and coaching staff that it wasn't until their recent three-game slide that the playoffs became a lost cause. If San Francisco can win each of its final two games - both inside the NFC West - there will be something to build off in 2021.

Arizona Cardinals

It's been a season of heroics in Arizona. The Hail Murray to beat the Bills, the overtime win against Seattle, and last week's fourth-quarter touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins to win the game.

Few teams are as fun to watch as Arizona, and few players are as electrifying as Kyler Murray. The injured shoulder that slowed Murray a few weeks ago seems to no longer plague him. 

Last week against the Eagles, his 400-plus passing yards and four total touchdowns were both season highs.

49ers Win Outright

The Cardinals are in a position to make the playoffs, and the 49ers are not, but when looking at the Dunkel Index rating, these teams are not that different. The Cardinals are the 14th-ranked team according to the Index, while the 49ers come in at 18th.

It's with that in mind that Dunkel predicts not just that the 49ers will cover the five-point spread but will win this game outright. Turnovers have been the big problem during their three-game losing streak, but the Cardinals have had their own issues with turning the ball over. 

Those problems will cancel each other out, and the superior San Francisco defense will lead them to the win.

For more Dunkel Index picks, check out our NFL picks page.