The San Francisco 49ers begin their NFC West defense against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL schedule. In 2019, Kyler Murray was learning the ropes as an NFL quarterback in his rookie campaign, but he adapted to the game quickly. In fact, while the Cardinals lost both games to the 49ers last year, those losses came by a combined 13 points. Now the Cardinals have added DeAndre Hopkins to their roster, giving Murray another terrific target. The 49ers last played in Super Bowl LIV, where they surrendered a double-digit lead to the Kansas City Chiefs. Will the 49ers suffer from Super Bowl hangover? Or will they take the first step on the path to another division title — and perhaps a Super Bowl championship?
Take a look at our NFL betting preview for this game on Week 1.
NFL Betting News: September 13
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers Preview
Game Details
Sunday, September 13, 2020, 4:25 pm ET
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
NFL Odds for the Game
San Francisco -7 / O/U 47
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Why should you Bet on Arizona?
In 2019, the Cardinals won five games overall but they won two of three down the stretch, knocking off Cleveland at home and Seattle on the road. Murray improved at the quarterback position as the season wore on. In addition to Hopkins, Murray still has Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald running routes, and the Cardinals also have tailback Kenyan Drake returning for what will be his first full season.
The Arizona defense needed improvement after 2019 as well. Cornerback Patrick Peterson had a less than stellar season and will look to return to elite performance this year. Chandler Jones and Budda Baker are better than average defenders, but as a unit, Arizona was dead last in the NFL in yards permitted per game, and getting stops will be an area of priority. In the two meetings with San Francisco last year, Arizona gave up 62 combined points. If they hope to beat the 49ers, they’ll need to find ways to slow down the 49ers’ running game.
Why should you Put your Money on the 49ers?
San Francisco rolled to a 13-3 record in the 2019 regular season. They beat the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round of the playoffs and routed Green Bay in the NFC Championship before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Coming into 2020, the 49ers lost wideout Emmanuel Sanders to the Saints via free agency, and with wideout Deebo Samuel on the shelf due to injury. The O-line is missing Ben Garland and Weston Richburg due to injury, so the 49ers will have some challenges in the area of pass protection and opening holes for the running game. George Kittle returns at tight end, but will he be enough for Garoppolo to move the ball down the field.
On defense, the 49ers shut teams down at an elite level last year. Jimmie Ward, Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner were the team’s top three tacklers, and they are all back. Nick Bosa returns to lead the pass rush, and Richard Sherman will lead the secondary one more time, an elite cornerback in spite of his age (32). On paper, the 49ers are a contender for the Super Bowl — so long as they can avoid Super Bowl hangover after the loss in last year’s title game.
Final Score and Prediction
Arizona has either covered or pushed in four straight road games, and they’ve covered in three of their last six against NFC foes and in seven of their last 12 overall. When playing in San Francisco, they have either covered or pushed in four straight games as well. The 49ers come in with several injuries on the lines. Another interesting number here is the “over.” San Francisco has gone over the point total in 6 of their last 8 games at home, and the Cardinals do have a high-octane offense. I predict a San Francisco win — but an Arizona cover, with a 30-27 barnburner.
Cardinals vs 49ers | Check the Odds
