75% of Money Bet on Cardinals vs 49ers is on Arizona as 10-Point Underdogs – Picks & Odds

• 91% of the sharp money is on the Arizona Cardinals at sportsbooks
• The Cardinals had 153 rushing yards against San Francisco in the first meeting, which they lost 28-25.
• Without key pieces like George Kittle, Matt Breida and Joe Staley, read the preview to see if the 49ers are worth wagering on

The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the season last Monday and now will take on the pesky Arizona Cardinals on a short week. The Cardinals played the 49ers tough in a 28-25 loss a few weeks ago. 91% of the sharp money on this game is on the Cardinals, so should we expect them to cover again?

Cardinals vs 49ers Odds & Betting Handle

Odds taken Nov. 16th

49ers Return After Bruising Loss

The 49ers are not only on a short week of preparation after playing on Monday Night Football, they played nearly a full extra quarter as the Seattle Seahawks edged them with a late field goal kick. On top of that, they suffered a number of key injuries, which means they’ll be playing with a short deck this week.

The offense will be without several key pieces. Wideout Emmanuel Sanders didn’t practice all week and says he’s going to try to play but he’s not close to 100%. As for George Kittle, he says he feels great but he’s listed as doubtful and is not expected to play. Running back Matt Breida and left tackle Joe Staley are out.

This team has a lot of depth but it’s tough to lose four key contributors on offense and not miss a beat.

Sharp Money on the Cardinals

Although the 49ers have the better record here – they’re 9-1 while the Cardinals are 3-6-1 – the sharp money seems to be on Arizona in this game. According to sportsbooks, 91% of the sharp money is on the Cards. 75% of the overall handle and 52% of the bets by count are on the Cardinals too.

George Kittle: I might sit this one out to heal up

49ers Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/2oPPQXnriD

— 49ers Gab (@49ersGab) November 10, 2019

That explains why they opened up at +13.5 at sportsbooks but are now down to +10.

Cardinals Running Game, Run Defense Will be the Key

The 49ers might be missing a number of players, but their path to success figures to be quite simple. If they can run the ball, they’ll be in great shape. In the first meeting, they compiled just 101 rushing yards on 31 carries, which is why they struggled to pull away in that contest. They typically average 161.8 on the ground (second-best in the NFL).

As for the Cardinals, they’re in the middle of the pack in terms of rush offense, as they’re 14th with an average of 116.0 yards per game. However, they had 153 rushing yards in the first meeting with San Francisco on just 23 carries. They had 266 against the Cincinnati Bengals but if you remove those two games from the equation, they’re averaging just 92.6 yards per game.

So this figures to be the key to Sunday’s contest. The 49ers underachieved on the road while the Cardinals overachieved in that first matchup. If the teams deviate back to the norm in Week 11, the 49ers should be in great shape to earn a comfortable win.

What’s the Best Bet?

We’ve lost a lot of good numbers on the Cardinals as getting 13.5 – or even buying it up to +14 – would have been more appealing. Even so, I do like the Cardinals with the points here. I’m expecting a comfortable Cardinals win here but it will be tough for them to get up for this game after such a fierce matchup with Seattle.

.@K1‘s first encounter with @KingJames was pretty dope ? pic.twitter.com/KOIaa3CIko

— Arizona Cardinals ⋈ (@AZCardinals) November 13, 2019

Arizona should have a good opportunity to either hang around here or get the backdoor cover if they can’t keep this close enough early on. Take the points.