Cardinals vs. 49ers Week 9 Picks: Injury Questions Surround Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals travel to Northern California to face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9. We investigate this NFC West divisional battle with our Cardinals and 49ers picks.

The Cardinals are coming off their first loss of the season but they remain one of the best teams in the NFL, appearing at four on our Power Rankings. They're 6-2 against the spread and are looking to keep up with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West with a win against the 49ers. San Francisco has limped out to a 3-4 record so far this season, but anything can happen in a divisional game.

Here are my picks and predictions for the NFL Week 9 matchup between the Cardinals and the 49ers (odds via FanDuel; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Cardinals vs. 49ers Week 9 Game Info

Date/Time: Sunday, November 7, 4:25 p.m. ETTV: FOXLocation: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CAWeather: 58 degrees, no rain

Cardinals vs. 49ers Odds Analysis

This game opened as a pick ‘em. Now, Arizona is a 1-point favorite and even a 2.5-point favorite at some sportsbooks. This line shift doesn’t imply a change in the game itself, however. It just shows that bettors are slightly favoring the Cardinals on the road over the 49ers.

The totals line began at 45, but it has been ticking up since. Some sportsbooks have it at 45.5, and others have seen it go up to 46.5.

Cardinals vs. 49ers Picks

Arizona -1 (-110) ??Over 45.5 (-110) ??

SEE ALSO: 3 NFL Betting Trends to Monitor in Week 9

Cardinals vs. 49ers Predictions

Arizona -1 (-110)

Note: Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins have been ruled out, resulting in the odds shifting for this game.

San Francisco is better than their record suggests, but that does not put them in the same league as Arizona. The Cardinals offense has found a new rhythm this year, and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is an MVP candidate.

The Cardinals are only slight favorites due to some injury questions. Murray and DeAndre Hopkins are currently questionable for this game. An offense with Colt McCoy is a lot different than an offense with Murray.

Still, Murray has a chance to play. I expect the Cardinals to win if Murray is in, and they may still pull off the upset if McCoy has to start. They have a great defense that allows only 319 yards per game that can minimize San Francisco’s run game.

I don’t feel confident because of the injury questions, but Arizona is a superior team at the moment. If they can force turnovers on Jimmy Garoppolo, they may win regardless of who starts for them at quarterback. With such a small line, I’ll take the Cardinals.

Over 45.5 (-110)

The Over is another interesting play in this game. But at the moment, it is so hard for you to decide what will happen without knowing who will be under center for Arizona. Adding in the uncertainty of Hopkins’ availability makes this even more challenging.

There are so many question marks at this point, but one constant remains the coaches. The offensive strategies of both Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will help this one turn into a high-scoring game. Just a 28-20 game would cover the total.

At the end of the day, this is a risky bet. If I knew for a fact that Murray was out, I would be even more hesitant to pick the Over. But the Over will hit if he plays, and it still may hit if he sits out. With that uncertainty, I’m taking the risky side of the bet and going with the Over.

SEE ALSO: Top 3 Underdog Picks of NFL Week 9