49ers vs Cardinals Prediction & NFL Odds For Week 18
The 49ers and Cardinals will face off on Sunday, January 5th at 4:25 ET on FOX. The Cardinals are the favorite with a point spread of -4 and money line odds of -207. This week 18 matchup is being played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The over/under line is set at 42.5 points. The 49ers’ need to add their record, while the Cardinals are looking to improve their standing.
Prediction at a Glance for Cardinals vs 49ers
- We have the Cardinals winning this one by a score of 20 to 19
- Even though we like the Cardinals to win, our ATS pick is to take the 49ers at +4
- We see this game finishing below the line of 42.5 points
Betting Odds & Lines for this Game
- Spread: 49ers +4 | Cardinals -4
- Total: 42.5
- MoneyLine: 49ers +173 | Cardinals -207
All Odds are courtesy of (BetMGM | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)
49ers vs. Cardinals Prediction: MoneyLine
Heading into week 18, the 49ers are 12th in our offensive power rankings. They rank 13th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game, and are 5th in total yards per game with 372.6. Despite being 24th in passing attempts, they are 4th in passing yards per game, averaging 246. On the ground, they are 14th in rushing attempts and 11th in rushing yards per game, with 126.6. San Francisco ranks 9th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion percentage and 23rd in red zone conversion percentage.
In week 17, Brock Purdy threw for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions, against the Lions. Ricky Pearsall led the team with 8 catches for 141 yards. San Francisco converted 5 of 8 3rd downs and scored on all 5 of their red zone trips in the loss.
Heading into week 18, the Cardinals sit 14th in our offensive power rankings. They are 15th in the NFL in points per game (22.1) and 11th in total yards per game (356.1). Arizona ranks 18th in passing yards per game (212.3) on 31.8 attempts per contest, while their rushing attack is 7th in the league with 143.8 yards per game on 27.2 attempts. The Cardinals have been strong on 3rd down, converting 43.4% of their attempts, which ranks 7th in the NFL.
Kyler Murray threw for 321 yards (33/48) in week 17, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He was sacked 4 times in the loss to the Rams. Trey McBride led the team with 12 catches for 123 yards, and Michael Carter had 70 rushing yards on 13 carries. Arizona was shut out in the first half, scoring 6 points in the 3rd quarter and 3 in the 4th.
- Free MoneyLine Prediction Cardinals -207 (Bet Now)
49ers vs. Cardinals Prediction: Total
In the 49ers’ 40-34 loss to the Lions, their defense struggled to get off the field, allowing the Lions to convert 64.3% of their third down attempts. The 49ers gave up 287 passing yards on 26 completions, with Detroit averaging 8.4 yards per attempt through the air. They also allowed three passing touchdowns and 152 rushing yards on 33 attempts.
San Francisco’s defense managed just two sacks in the game and allowed the Lions’ quarterbacks to complete 76.5% of their passes. The 49ers will be looking for significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball in their next outing.
In the Cardinals’ 13-9 loss to the Rams, their defense played well, holding the Rams to just 3.1 yards per attempt on 22 rushes. Arizona allowed only 189 passing yards and 257 total yards, with the Rams converting 40% of their third down attempts. However, Arizona’s defense struggled to generate pressure, as they didn’t record any sacks and had a -4 differential in quarterback hits.
Arizona’s defense kept the Rams out of the end zone, but the lack of pressure on the quarterback made it difficult for them to swing the game in their favor. The Cardinals’ offense also struggled, scoring just nine points in the game.
- Free MoneyLine Prediction UNDER 42.5 (Bet Now)
49ers vs. Cardinals Prediction: Spread
Heading into week 18, the 49ers sit 8th in our NFL power rankings despite their 6-10 record and three-game losing streak. Their most recent loss came at home to the Lions in week 17, where they were unable to cover the 3.5-point spread as underdogs. The 74 combined points in that game easily surpassed the 50-point line, marking the second straight game the 49ers have gone over.
With a -1.5 average scoring margin, San Francisco is 5-11 against the spread this season. They are 5-8 as favorites and 0-3 as underdogs. In terms of O/U, they have a 9-7 record, with their games averaging 47.1 points compared to a 46.5-point line.
- Through their last three regular season contests, San Francisco has a record of 0-3. The team’s record vs the spread was just 0-3, in addition to an over-under mark of 2-1.
- In their last five games away from home, the 49ers have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 1-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 19 points per game in this stretch.
Heading into week 18, the Cardinals sit at 7-9, ranking 15th in our power rankings. After a week 15 win over the Patriots, they’ve dropped two in a row, including a 13-9 loss to the Rams in week 17. Despite the loss, Arizona covered the spread as 6.5-point underdogs.
With a -0.1 scoring margin, the Cardinals are 10-6 against the spread. They’ve gone 7-2 as underdogs and 2-4 as favorites. Their O/U record is 7-8-1, with their games averaging 44.2 points compared to a 46.8-point line.
- Over their last three games, the Cardinals have gone 2-1 straight up. This also includes going 2-1 ATS and an over-under mark of 2-1.
- Across their last five home contests, Arizona has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 19 points per game.
- Free Spread Prediction 49ers +4 (Bet Now)
49ers vs. Cardinals Pick: 49ers +4
Our pick vs. the spread in this week 18 matchup between the 49ers and Cardinals is to take the 49ers to cover as road underdogs. Right now, the point spread lines have the 49ers at +4, and with our projected final score being 19-17 in favor of Arizona, the 49ers are our pick to cover.
For an over/under pick, we really like the under, with a projected combined score of 36 points, which is well below the O/U line of 42.5 points.
