NFL Week 7: Seahawks vs. Cardinals odds, picks, & predictions

An important NFC West showdown takes place on Sunday, when the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks travel to Arizona to face the 4-2 Cardinals.

The Seahawks are favored by three and a half points, with the total currently the second-highest in the NFL this week at 56.5 points.

Seattle lucky to be unbeaten

All but one of Seattle’s wins this season have been by eight points or less, but none were closer than their one-point victory over the Vikings in Week 5. Trailing 13-0 at the half, the Seahawks scored three touchdowns in less than two minutes to take a 21-13 lead in the third quarter. Then, Russell Wilson did what he does best, leading a late drive and throwing a touchdown pass with 15 seconds left to lead his team to a 27-26 victory.

The Seahawks were bailed out on their third-quarter scoring spree as the Vikings committed turnovers on consecutive plays, allowing Seattle to score their second and third touchdowns on drives that covered a combined 44 yards on three plays. Aside from that, the defense did not play well, allowing nearly 450 yards as the Vikings held the ball for almost 40 minutes.

Seattle now ranks dead last in passing yards allowed per game, giving up more than 370 per game. That defense will need to be better against the Cardinals, the first team they will face with a winning record this season.

Kyler Murray enjoying stellar sophomore season

Meanwhile, Arizona’s young quarterback is having an outstanding season himself. Kyler Murray threw for two scores and ran for another in their 38-10 win over the Cowboys on Monday, gaining 262 total yards of offense. He already is closing in on his total of 24 touchdowns last season, with 16 scored through six games, while improving his completion percentage and rushing for more than seven yards per carry.

While the Seahawks will give him an opportunity to gain yardage, he must take care of the football as Seattle has forced the third-most turnovers per game in the NFL.

On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals lead the league in passing yards allowed, but that number is a bit skewed when you consider they have played Washington, the Jets, and the Cowboys without Dak Prescott. Wilson will present a much stiffer test, and this will be the most powerful offense they have faced this year by far. In the Cardinals’ two losses, both Teddy Bridgewater and Matthew Stafford threw for more than 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Seattle vs. Arizona injury report

Seattle has been without safety Jamal Adams for a few games, but there is a hope that he may finally return this week, helping the secondary out quite a bit. RB Carlos Hyde may miss the game with a shoulder issue, and safety Lano Hill is expected to head to the injured reserve.

The Cardinals have stayed quite healthy, with only LB Kylie Fitts being questionable for this weekend’s game.

Seahawks vs. Cardinals betting trends

Seattle has won all five of their games this season, covering the spread in four of them. They have also won 10 of their last twelve road games, and have covered the spread in 13 of their last 18 away from home. While they have defeated Arizona four of the last six meetings, they have covered the spread just once in that span. The total has gone over in four of their last six games.

The Cardinals have covered the spread in six of their last nine games, with one push, and have also won six of their last nine straight-up. The total has gone under in four of their last five home games, and has gone under in six of their last nine games against the Seahawks.

While the Cardinals have been impressive the past two weeks, their schedule has not. Three of the four teams they have beaten had serious issues at quarterback, and their win over the 49ers to open the season no longer has the same shine it once did. While Murray is playing well, the defense will need to show that their rankings are not simply a byproduct of their weak schedule.

Meanwhile, Wilson is playing at an MVP level, and his performance this year is as good as he it's ever been. More importantly, he is finding ways to win games despite the odds or circumstances. While I expect both teams to put up points, the Seahawks should be able to cover and take home the win.

Score prediction: Seattle 34, Arizona 24

NFL picks: Seahawks -3.5, Over 56.5