Here are the betting odds and trends for the game between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals.
In what should be a fantastic battle, the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals will open up the season on Sunday Night Football. The game will lose a bit of its luster without Tom Brady, but there is plenty of intrigue with Jimmy Garoppolo starting in his place. There is also a great deal of intrigue surrounding Chandler Jones going up against his former team.
With the game between two Super Bowl contenders, Vegas sees the Cardinals as six-point favorites at home against the Brady-less Patriots. It might seem like a big enough spread to take New England, but it might not be. It’s actually a solid bet to place on the Cardinals for a variety of reasons.
The Cardinals have been known for getting off to fast starts under head coach Bruce Arians. They play tremendous at home and they also are 15-0 against non-NFC West opponents at home under their head coach. Add in the fact that they maintained their team that went deep in the playoffs last year and got even better.
With Chandler Jones coming off the edge and rookie Robert Nkemdiche expected to have a big role, the Cardinals feel they have the pass rush that will make them one of the best in the league. They also have two All-Pros in their secondary that will shut the pass down. If the pass rush forces Garoppolo to make mistakes, it could be a long night in the desert. New England is going to need some time to gel, while the Cardinals are ready to go.