With an 8.5 win total in an admittedly daunting division, the Arizona Cardinals had some semblance of hope entering 2025 and started the season 2-0. Even after five consecutive losses by five points or fewer, a Monday night win over the Dallas Cowboys gave the Cardinals a positive point differential at the midpoint of the season.
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Then the wheels fell off. Arizona lost nine straight games to end the season, covering the spread just once, losing by 15.8 PPG the rest of the way and failing to cover by 9.0 PPG. Following an offseason where their best free-agent signing was a running back and their best draft pick was... checks notes... a running back, the Cardinals enter 2026 with the longest preseason division odds, conference odds and Super Bowl odds since the 2017 New York Jets. But there's a silver lining; that Jets team did go over its win total! -- Kevin Pulsifer
Note: Odds by DraftKings and subject to change.
2026 outlook: Cards have their RB... and a lot of questions
2026 NFL team betting previews
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ AFC North BAL CIN CLE PIT AFC South HOU IND JAX TEN AFC West DEN KC LAC LV NFC East DAL NYG PHI WSH NFC North CHI DET GB MIN NFC South ATL CAR NO TB NFC West ARI LAR SF SEA The Cardinals should be more competitive, but I'm not ready to call them a good team. Moving on from Kyler Murray gave Arizona a fresh start, and drafting Jeremiyah Love finally gives head coach Mike LaFleur the explosive running back he likes to build his offenses around. Tight end Trey McBride and third-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. are building blocks, and the offensive line should be healthier after an injury-riddled season.
But the problem is everything else. The quarterback room is a question mark (though Jacoby Brissett did just rework his contract), the defense has to make big-time improvements, and the Cardinals are projected to face one of the toughest schedules in the league. -- Pamela Maldonado