Arizona at San Francisco Week 5 Betting Pick & Prediction

The San Francisco 49ers have won 6 of their last 7 games against the Arizona Cardinals at the Levi’s Stadium (going 5-2 ATS in the process), and they will be hoping to score another big one at home when they host the banged-up Cards in a Week 5 Thursday Night Football matchup. Find a brief online NFL betting preview of this NFC West rivalry action prepared for you below.

Arizona at San Francisco Week 5 Betting Pick, Prediction & TV Info

You can watch our #TNF game on @Twitter!https://t.co/PBB2ihp17p

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 5, 2016

When: Thursday, October 6, 2016. 8:25pm Where: Levi’s Stadium TV: CBS Radio: Arizona / San Francisco Stream Option: NFL Live NFL Lines: Arizona (-4), OVER/UNDER 43.5

Why Bet on Arizona? (1-3, 1-3 ATS)

At 1-3 and a cellar placement in the division, a lot of questions are being asked about the defending NFC West champions, given that coach Bruce Arians said at the start of the season that he was happy with his squad and that this was the season for the Cards to win it all. Needless to say, the Cards have not looked anything like Super Bowl contenders, getting humiliated at the hands of Buffalo two weeks ago, and then following it with a disappointing performance against the Rams last week. Making matters worse, the Cards are dealing with a slew of key injuries that includes starting quarterback Carson Palmer and star running back Chris Johnson. In spite of all that, the Cardinals are still pretty deep in their roster with a serviceable backup quarterback in Drew Stanton and the running back tandem of David Johnson and Andre Ellington to take charge in the absence of Johnson, who was placed on IR this week. Meanwhile, Arizona’s defense (20 PPG allowed this season) should be more than capable of putting the clamps on San Francisco’s middling offense that is scoring 22.50 PPG and ranks last in the NFL in passing yards per game.

Why Bet on San Francisco? (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS)

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the 49ers, so it should come as no surprise that they are already contending for the top drafting position next year with a 1-3 record. That, however, is not an excuse for them not to give their best and win a couple of games, especially after they started their season with a bang, blanking out the Los Angeles Rams 28-0. Unfortunately, since that win, the Niners have struggled to find balance in their game, giving up too many cheap points in defense and failing to capitalize on their offensive talent. Last week, for example, the Niners jumped to a big lead over Cowboys, only to go cold in the second half and eventually lose the game. In order to have a different outcome this Thursday, both the offense and defense will need to work together, with the D harassing Zona’s questionable offensive line and the Blaine Gabbert-led San Francisco offense getting its act together, especially in their anemic passing game. The opportunity is there against Arizona’s injury- bugged squad, no doubt, but the Niners must be ready to pounce on it and make the best out of their chances.

My Betting Prediction and Pick

The Cardinals did a double on the 49ers last season, beating them 19-13 and 47-7, and it doesn’t look like things will be that different here. Arizona is dealing with injuries and the 49ers have historically played well at home against the Cards, but San Francisco is littered with deficiencies all over the team, which will make it very hard for them to beat the more talented visitors. So, in short, take the Cardinals for the SU and points. Score Prediction: Arizona 24, San Francisco 20 Recommended Picks: OVER 43.5, Arizona (-4)