The Arizona Cardinals have a shot at matching the best start in franchise history against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
The Cardinals reached 6-0 for the first time since 1974 last Sunday, defeating Cleveland, 37-14, on the road as a 3-point underdog.
Fast forward a week and the Cardinals are sizable favorites at Arizona NFL betting sites against the Texans, with the two sides squaring off from State Farm Stadium at 1:25 p.m. Arizona time on CBS.
The 1974 St. Louis Cardinals got off to the best start in franchise history, going 7-0 before falling to Dallas 17-14 in Week 8. That team finished 10-4.
Cardinals Heavy Favorites on Sunday
Coach Kliff Kingsbury’s team is favored to win in a landslide by Arizona betting apps Sunday, with DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona listing the Cardinals as 17.5-point favorites. BetMGM Arizona has Arizona at -17.
For those making Arizona sports betting moneyline wagers, BetMGM has the Cardinals at -1600, DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona lists them at -1500, and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona places Arizona at -1400.
The over/under is 47.5 total points on all three sites.
Kyler Murray’s MVP Odds
One storyline entering Sunday’s game is the MVP candidacy of third-year Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray has been dominant this season, ranking in the top 10 in passing yards (1,741), passing touchdowns (14) and quarterback rating (116.2), while also being on pace for career marks in completion percentage (73.8%) and passing yards (on pace for 4,933).
Murray’s mastery of Kingsbury’s offensive scheme has him in a tie with Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott atop BetMGM Arizona’s NFL MVP odds race at +400.
The former Heisman Trophy winner started the season at +1600 at BetMGM and currently leads the likes of Josh Allen (+450), Tom Brady (+900) and Matthew Stafford (+1000).
DeAndre Hopkins Faces Former Team
On Sunday, Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins makes his first start against the team that drafted him.
Hopkins, who leads all Cardinals in receptions (a three-way tie at 26), receiving yards (367) and receiving touchdowns (6), finished his Texans career with 632 receptions, 8,602 yards and 54 touchdowns across seven seasons.
The former Clemson Tigers wideout was traded to the Valley of the Sun by former Texans coach and GM Bill O’Brien during the 2020 offseason.
Hopkins responded with 115 catches for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns in 2020 — marking his best all-around season, stats-wise, since 2018.
Hopkins shined in the last contest between Arizona and Houston as a member of the Texans in 2017, hauling in four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 31-21 Texans victory.
Fast forward four years, and Hopkins, along with Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt, will be opposing the Texans for the first time.
