It’s going to be a long NFL season for the Cardinals, and you may be wondering why it makes sense to keep watching the games by Week 5.
I am here to ease the pain by offering up three prop bet options each week.
These are my favorites for the Week 1 opener against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson over 58.5 Rushing Yards (-114 at FanDuel)
The Arizona defensive line actually looked pretty solid in the preseason. Will it carry over when the games that matter?
With a defensive front highlighted by Dennis Gardeck, Jonathan Ledbetter, L.J. Collier, Leki Fotu and Zaven Collins, I have my doubts.
Robinson looked good down the stretch as a rookie, averaging 82.6 rushing yards per game on 4.2 yards per carry in his final seven contests.
Usually I am wary of breaking up the season at an arbitrary starting point, but the dude got shot before the season. It would make sense for him to get stronger and healthier by the end of it.
Robinson contributes almost nothing in the receiving game, so when he is on the field, the Commanders will be pounding the rock.
Additionally, if Washington leads late, as expected, he can rack up the carries down the stretch and add to his total against a tired Arizona defense.
Robinson should reach 60 rushing yards in this matchup, and may even go for 80-plus if you like any of the alternate betting lines.
Cardinals K Matt Prater Under 5.5 Points (-115 at BetMGM)
In order to get six kicking points, Prater would need to boot two field goals or kick one and nail three extra points.
The second option, of course, would mean the Cardinals scored three touchdowns in this game, which seems pretty unlikely.
Prater is listed at -155 odds to finish with under two field goals, so I’d rather take the superior payout by betting that Arizona does not consistently find paydirt in a game where their point total over/under is only 14.5.
The cherry on top is the weather. There could be scattered thunderstorms throughout the day, which may affect the kicking conditions.
Depending on game circumstance, there is a chance Prater nails a pair of field goals, but I could see Arizona finishing with 17 points, five of which would be by Prater.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel over 22.5 receiving yards (-115 at DraftKings)
Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson are the standout wide receivers for Washington, but Samuel is a solid No. 3 option.
He averaged 38.6 receiving yards per game a season ago, and while his playing time and numbers dipped at the end of the season, he is listed as the starting slot receiver once again heading into Week 1.
I also like the matchup for him. The Cardinals will likely keep Jalen Thompson and Budda Baker back deep to avoid giving up big plays to the talented outside duo, which should give Samuel room to work on the underneath against Antonio Hamilton or whomever else is used in nickel.
Thompson had that role for much of camp but can now move back to his natural position following the Isaiah Simmons trade.
Two catches could get Samuel over the line if they are far enough downfield and if he gets three this will be a very good play.
Prop Bets Record This Week: 3-0
This Season: 3-0
