Arizona Cardinals vs. Chiefs Best Bets for Week 1 (Expect Some Scoring)

The Arizona Cardinals are just over one day away from facing the Kansas City Chiefs to open the season. Here are the 3 best bets you can make for the game. 

The Arizona Cardinals are a banged up football group limping into a Week 1 outing against one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL. And with so many injuries, especially at corner and receiver, head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray have an opportunity to go one-for-one following their respective contract extensions.

As one of the best quarterbacks in football during the early stages of the 2021 season, a healthy Murray can easily take this game over on both the ground and through the air. Regardless of who he is throwing to.

Further, the Cardinals, even when facing the possibility of going without their top corners, can also find a way to at least slow down Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Something both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals excelled at on the biggest stages.

So when looking at the best bets for this one, expect a higher-scoring affair with a lot of offense. Even if the Cardinals slow down Mahomes, they will only do so in slowing him just enough to keep themselves in this one, with Murray picking up the slack. So let’s explore the best bets.

Best Bet #1 – OVER 53.5 (-112)

The over/under sits at 53.5 for this game as of Saturday, September 10th at 8:00 am PST. With two high-profile quarterbacks in Mahomes and Murray plus two projected weaker defenses, look for a higher-scoring contest.

There is a possibility the two teams may turn to the running game and attempt to play some ball control to keep themselves in possession. But at the end of the day, or game, both teams will be forced to return to their pass-happy roots. Expect a lot of scoring and don’t be surprised if both teams reach the 30-point mark in this one.

Best Bet #2 – Patrick Mahomes OVER 2.5 pass TDs (+130)

Mahomes is heading into his fifth season as a full-time starter. And in every season opener since 2018, he tossed 3 or more touchdown passes. With a depleted secondary in Arizona that may be turning to their #4 and #5 corners on the roster with Trayvon Mullen and Antonio Hamilton out, plus Byron Murphy’s questionable status, Mahomes is getting his numbers.

While it’s true the Cardinals can slow him down, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times, it is hard to see Mahomes throwing anything less than 3 touchdown passes in this game. Earlier in the week, I listed three of the best player prop bets. And you can consider this prop bet to be on the same platform as those mentioned in the above article.

Best Bet #3 – Arizona Cardinals and Chiefs BOTH SCORE OVER 25 points (+205)

While it is tough to see the Cardinals winning this thing, expect them to encroach the 25-point mark regardless of the outcome. Look for Murray to elevate the talent of what may be a patchwork pass-catching unit while Mahomes leads the Chiefs on several scoring drives throughout the show.

It shouldn’t surprise to see both teams reach the 25-point threshold by the fourth quarter in what should be a back-and-forth offensive showing all afternoon. Even with an unhealthy Cardinals team.

As you can see from the bets listed above, I am expecting a lot of offense in this one. Look for the Chiefs to be their usual selves in this outing, but the Cardinals can keep pace. Both teams have started off hot on offense over the previous two seasons, and that trend should continue in 2022.