San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals Prediction & Picks - NFL

Prediction published on 10/6/24, 12:47 PM  by Bill Christy | Modified on 1/19/26 at 12:03 PM in NFL Picks

=11.0ptThe San Francisco 49ers have had one tough road through their 1st four games of the season. They lost their star in Christian McCaffery for a multiple number of weeks just before the opening game of the season. They then lost Deebo Samuel, arguably their 2nd most dangerous weapon, just a couple games into the season. Their defense had multiple starters banged up and this was all coming off an offseason where the main story was if Brandon Aiyuk, their leading receiver would return. They are 2-2 and have weathered the storm as best they can. They are ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and opponents points per game and 1st in time of possession. They will need to continue those numbers against an Arizona team that can put up big numbers with an explosive offense. Despite being just 1-3, the Cardinals rank 5th in the league with 153.3 rushing yards per game and have one of the most dynamic passing connections with Kyler Murray and rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. Their defense has been their main issue. They are allowing 26.5ppg to their opponents which is 29th in the league. If they can manage a few more stops per game defensively, they can certainly change the trajectory of their season around.