3 Bold Predictions: Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers – Week 9

Sunda’s NFC West battle will be a defensive struggle

Yes, the Cardinals’ passing game will come to life regardless of who is starting at quarterback on Sunday. But that doesn’t mean they will light up the scoreboard. Looking at the play of the Cardinals and 49ers’ defenses this season, expect a lower-scoring affair.

The final score of this game will not be 15 -10, as we saw in last week’s Cleveland-Pittsburgh game. But expect a defensive struggle between two of the league’s top-10 defenses. According to Pro-Football-Reference, Arizona ranks 10th in total defense and San Francisco ranks second.

Do you want more fun? The Cardinals and 49ers both allow an average of 5.2 yards per play, tied for fourth in the league with two other teams. However, Arizona holds an edge coming into the contest, boasting 14 takeaways compared to the 49ers’ five, which is also currently tied for the second-fewest in the league.

So expect a hard-hitting game between two ultra-talented defenses. Ironically, both of whom rank in the bottom-10 in yards allowed per rush attempt this year. The Cardinals are allowing 4.9 yards per carry and the 49ers are allowing 4.4 yards. Regardless, Arizona has allowed just 17.3 points per game and San Francisco has given up 24.4 per matchup.

Look for a final score somewhere along the lines of 21- 17, or something similar. With two highly-motivated teams who have faced their fair share of adversity in 2021, this game is an absolute tossup.