Cardinals Still Favored Over Rams in NFC West Despite Kyler Murray’s Ankle Injury

Arizona Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray is dealing with an ankle injury that he suffered on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers and is far from a guarantee to play in Week 9.

Arizona dropped its first game of the season in Week 8, but it remains the favorite in the NFC West after it beat the Los Angeles Rams (also 7-1) earlier in the season. 

If Murray is healthy enough to play, I can get behind the Cardinals as the favorite in the division considering they already have wins over the Rams and San Francisco 49ers. However, there’s a chance that Murray could miss more than Week 9 if he doesn’t bounce back from his ankle injury. 

Whether Jay Glazer is correct in his timetable for Murray, it’s clear the MVP candidate could miss this week against the same 49ers team that Arizona played a close game with earlier this year. 

Latest Odds to Win NFC West Division

• Arizona Cardinals: -120
• Los Angeles Rams: -110
• San Francisco 49ers: +3500
• Seattle Seahawks: +5000

While there isn’t much value in betting on the Rams at -110 odds to win the division, they’d be my pick with the uncertainty surrounding Murray. 

Los Angeles just traded for Von Miller to improve its defense, and it doesn’t have the injury concerns that the Cardinals do at the moment. If Los Angeles can survive a stretch against the Tennessee Titans, 49ers and Packers, I’d expect the team’s odds to rise. 

Arizona may be in the driver’s seat, but that could all change this week.