The Arizona Cardinals were outclassed in every way by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns as Kansas City led 37-7 at one point and cruised to a 44-21 win.
The betting markets have reacted, as Arizona’s odds in a bunch of futures categories have lengthened. While it was an ignominious start, there is also the possibility that it was a blip.
One year ago, the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers combined to lose their openers by 60 points, and then turned things around to finish as the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively. They won a combined 25 of 32 games following the 0-2 start.
So for those who believe the Cardinals have enough talent to get back on track (Editor’s note: I’m quite skeptical) this could be a good time to put money on them.
Here is an update of their current odds.
Cardinals’ Win Total: 7.5 (-120)
Before the opener, the win total was set at 8.5. The Cardinals were six-point underdogs against the Chiefs, so it was not a surprise that they lost. However, the defeat was so all-encompassing that their total has dropped to 7.5 wins at most sportsbooks. The over is the slight favorite, but this represents a better wager than those who chose the over before the season began.
Caesars has the win total set at eight but with +110 odds on the over, so for those who believe in an above-.500 campaign, that could be the play. I predicted a 7-10 record before the season so I’m staying away from the win total, but those with optimism can take advantage here, especially if they foresee a win coming over the Raiders in Week 2.
Cardinals’ Odds to Make the Playoffs: Yes (+200)
Arizona was already a +150 underdog to make the postseason before the year began, and now DraftKings has pushed it out to +200, with falling short of the playoffs the heavy -250 favorite.
The Cardinals cruised into the playoffs a year ago after a 10-2 start, and with three wild card spots these days, it’s certainly possible they get there again.
However, the schedule is tough, and the defensive issues will make it an arduous hill to climb.
Cardinals’ Odds to Win the NFC West: +500
The Rams, 49ers and Cardinals all lost in Week 1, making it a relative wash in terms of winning the division.
The odds for Los Angeles and San Francisco didn’t change much, but Arizona was around 4/1 heading into the season, and can now be had at 5/1 over at BetMGM.
The Seahawks are the only team that won their opener, and made up ground as the Cardinals fell back. The good thing for Arizona is that everyone in the division has to play each other twice and the entire AFC West, which makes its difficult schedule less of a problem.
But the oddsmakers saw enough in the opener to still downgrade their chances.
Cardinals’ Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +5000
Anyone left with pie-in-the-sky thinking after that performance in Week 1? Well, for the three of you bold enough to believe in a championship run, the odds are certainly the longest they have been since the end of last season.
Arizona was around +2000 one point, before setting in between 30/1 and 40/1 heading into the season. Now the Cardinals can be had at +5000 odds.
So go ahead and throw that bet in now, and then get the last laugh when DeAndre Hopkins returns to kickstart a dominant offense that carries Arizona to a Super Bowl.
Or if you think they will lose to the Raiders before turning things around, wait another week. The betting odds could just keep getting longer.
