49ers vs Cardinals Preview (11/21/22): Prediction & Injuries

The San Francisco 49ers play the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City on Monday Night to cap off Week 11 of the 2022 NFL Season. The 49ers look like they are finding their stride right now and just beat the Chargers last week after starting off slow in that game. The Cardinals also just beat the Rams easily. This should be an interesting matchup for the pecking order of the NFC West. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals Betting Odds

The San Francisco 49ers are 8-point favorites against the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City and are at -360 on the money line. The over/under is also set at 43.5. The spread makes sense even though it seems high because the 49ers look like they are finding their stride, and while the Cardinals won last week, they still seem like they could be reeling.

The over/under also makes sense because while both of these offenses can score, the best unit in this game might be the San Francisco defense. This spread could move down a bit, especially if there’s news that Kyler Murray will come back to play this week.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals Prediction

The Pick: San Francisco -8

Both of these teams looked good last week, but it’s very clear that the 49ers have turned a corner, while it’s not as clear for the Cardinals. The 49ers have a bunch of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, and the biggest one is Christian McCaffrey in the running back spot. They are 2-1 since getting him and he’s just added a completely new dimension to an already great system for running backs. Deebo Samuel is also back from injury, which makes him and McCaffrey a lethal on-two punch for the offense.

The 49ers also have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and it’s finally been getting more and more healthier. The defense has shown just how good it is these last two weeks when healthy and they are only going to get better.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, are struggling and while they won last week, it seems like a mirage. The team is decimated with injuries, with Kyler Murray being the main injury to keep an eye on at the quarterback position. The offense has been inconsistent all year, with the ability to score waning from game to game, while the defense has been better than originally advertised, but still not great.

The Cardinals do have playmakers, Kyle Shanahan should be able to run circles around Kliff Kingsbury, coaching wise. Take the 49ers and the points here because they are just that good and the Cardinals are teetering on disaster still.

Betting Trends

• 49ers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. NFC West.
• Cardinals are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 Monday games.

Key Injuries

San Francisco 49ers Injuries: QB Kyler Murray (Hamstring) Q, TE Zach Ertz (Leg) O

Arizona Cardinals Injuries: CB Jason Verrett (Knee) O, DL Arik Armstead (Ankle) Q

Key Matchups

Check out the key matchups and mismatches for San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals below.

Christian McCaffrey vs the Cardinals Front Seven

Christian McCaffrey has been having a good year regardless of team. He has 125 carries, 563 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns on the year. He has a ton of potential in this 49ers offense because of how unique they are when it comes to the ground game. The Cardinals are not great against the run and allow 111 rushing yards a game, so McCaffrey has a good matchup here. If the Cardinals can’t slow him down, then this game could be over really fast.

James Conner vs the 49ers Front Seven

James Conner has been very consistent for the Cardinals in his time there. He has 82 carries, 314 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns on the year. He’s been injured, but is still a very consistent. The 49ers are very good against the run and allow 83 rushing yards a game. This is going to be a very tough matchup for Conner. The Cardinals are going to struggle a lot if Conner can’t get anything going, especially if Kyler Murray doesn’t end up playing.

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB1: Christian McCaffrey
RB2: Elijah Mitchell
LWR: Deebo Samuel
RWR: Brandon Aiyuk
SWR: Jauan Jennings
TE1: George Kittle

Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart

QB: Kyler Murray
RB1: James Conner
RB2: Keaontay Ingram
LWR: DeAndre Hopkins
RWR: Robbie Anderson
SWR: Rondale Moore
TE1: Trey McBride