Cardinals vs. 49ers Odds, Picks, Predictions Week 18: No. 1 Seed in Play for San Francisco

A win against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday could help the San Francisco 49ers earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, which kicks off at the same time as the Philadelphia Eagles. We break down the NFL odds and offer our top Cardinals-49ers NFL pick.

The Niners are on a roll. They’ve won nine in a row, but faced adversity last week, coming from behind to beat the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. They trailed by 10 points in the third quarter and eventually won 37-34 in overtime. It was the Niners’ second largest comeback victory in the second half under Kyle Shanahan. 

Arizona lost on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on New Year’s Day, 20-19, for its sixth straight defeat. Only the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears (nine each) have had longer losing streaks this season. The last time Arizona had a longer losing streak was a nine-game skid in 2012.

Here is our best Cardinals vs. 49ers NFL pick for Week 18 (odds via BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our NFL best bets for Week 18, picks roundup, and against the spread power rankings.

Cardinals vs. 49ers Game Info

Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Weather: 59 degrees, 23% chance of precipitation, 12 mph winds

Cardinals vs. 49ers Odds

Cardinals vs. 49ers Odds Analysis

There is little faith in Arizona, as the line movement proves. The Cardinals were massive 10.5-point underdogs at the start of the week, and the line has moved to 14.5 points in favor of San Francisco.

It’s not surprising since the Cardinals announced they are shutting down wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and backup quarterback Colt McCoy for the season finale. There is little confidence in third-string quarterback David Blough against the 49ers defense. The public is taking the Niners, with 70% of the cash placed on the home team.

The total has varied throughout the week. It opened at 40 and shifted to 40.5, but it dropped to 39.5 as a result of the Cardinals’ key absentees. The Over appears to be the play, with 73% of the cash and 61% of the tickets taking the points. You can get the total as low as 40 at PointsBet.

Editor's note: Hey Ohio! Welcome to legal sports betting. Check out the best sites for Ohio sports betting and the best Ohio sportsbook promos! 21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Cardinals vs. 49ers Pick

49ers to score Over 27.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shanahan is going to have to toe the line very carefully in this game. He’ll want to win it so that the 49ers guarantee the second seed in the conference, and perhaps more, but there will be a point where he’ll want to rest players for the postseason. There are no gimmes in this league, although the Cardinals do appear to be shutting down for the offseason. 

Brock Purdy will get more reps, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is 44 yards away from becoming the first Arizona State player with a 1,000-yard receiving season in the NFL since Bruce Hill in 1988 (for Tampa Bay), and Deebo Samuel might get a run out. Expect San Francisco to come out firing, get the points on the board, and then start to give the backups some reps in the third quarter. No matter what, Shanahan will want to win and won’t ease up until victory looks guaranteed. They’ll score points in this game. 

Cardinals vs. 49ers Best Odds

BetMGM (+110)

The books are favoring the Under for this total. BetMGM offers the best value at +110. Some books have lowered the total for the 49ers from 27.5 to 26.5. The value isn’t worth the play for one less point on offer.  

Cardinals-49ers pick made 01/06/2023 at 1:20 p.m. ET.

Here are our Best NFL Betting Sites:

• FanDuel: Get a $1,000 No-Sweat First Bet Offer | Read our FanDuel Review
• Caesars: Earn a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,250 | Read our Caesars Review
• DraftKings: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,000 | Read our DraftKings Review
• PointsBet: Earn Five First Bet Offer of Up to $100 Each | Read our PointsBet Review
• BetMGM: Get a First Bet Offer of Up to $1,000 | Read our BetMGM Review

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related Pages

Best Online Sportsbooks | Best U.S. Sportsbook Promos