NFC West Seahawks and Cardinals 2024 NFL Schedules, Odds and Picks

Previews and betting tips for the 2024 NFL season – Seahawks and Cardinals

The 2024 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday/Friday doubleheader starting Sept. 5 with the full Week 1 Sunday schedule Sept. 8. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 46.5) host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5 in an AFC playoff rematch with those two teams the AFC favorites to reach Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. The NFC West Seahawks and Cardinals will try for major improvement and challenge kingpin San Francisco as the best in the NFC West.

NFL Week 1 Matchups And Odds – My update in Forbes

But as training camp continues and football and fantasy fans get the juices flowing ahead of the 2024 NFL season, sports bettors are pouring through the teams schedules, rosters, stats, odds, futures and props and making bets at leading online sportsbooks. That includes on the AFC and NFC teams with the NFC West 49ers and Rams NFC contenders to start the season.

NFC West – 49ers and Rams

Football odds from leading online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on NFC West Seahawks and Cardinals props and live betting.

Seattle Seahawks 

Season Win Total: 7.5 (Over -150)
Division Odds: +550 / AFC Odds: +3300 / Super Bowl Odds: +6600
Record Last 2 Years: 9-8, 9-8
Head Coach: Mike McDonald (1st season)

Seahawks Schedule, Odds and Props

Division games and advance point spreads (DraftKings)

Week 6 San Francisco 49ers (SEA +5 / 46.5) Thurs
Week 9 Los Angeles Rams (SEA +1.5 / 46.5)
Week 11 at San Francisco 49ers (SEA +9 / 46.5)
Week 12 Arizona Cardinals (SEA -3 / 46)
Week 14 at Arizona Cardinals (SEA +1 / 46)
Week 18 at Los Angeles Rams (SEA +5.5 / 47)

Other Key Games
Week 3 Miami Dolphins (SEA +2 / 49) MNF
Week 4 at Detroit Lions (SEA +6 / 49) MNF
Week 8 Buffalo Bills (SEA +3 / 46.5)
Week 13 at New York Jets (SEA +4.5 / 46.5)
Week 15 Green Bay Packers (SEA +1 / 47) SNF
Week 17 at Chicago Bears (SEA +3.5 / 45.5) Thurs

Bye: Week 10

Key Player Props (regular season at BetOnline and BetUS)

QB Geno Smith – O/U 3,450.5 Passing Yards / 21.5 Passing TD’s / 11.5 INT
RB Kenneth Walker-O/U 925.5 Rushing Yards / 7.5 Rush TD’s / 225 Rec Yds
WR D.K. Metcalf – O/U 1,000.5 Rec Yards, 68.5 Receptions / 6.5 Rec TD’s
WR Tyler Lockett – O/U 775.5 Rec Yards / 70.5 Receptions / 4.5 Rec TD’s
WR Jaxson Smith Njigba-O/U 750.5 Rec Yards / 69.5 Receptn / 4.5 Rec TDs

Stats and Notes (check back ahead of season for more betting notes). NFC West Seahawks and Cardinals Handicapping and research includes sources and stats from beat writers, team sites and press notes, bettors and newsletters or betting guides like VSiN, Sharp Football, Playbook, CleveAnalytics, ESPN Stats & Info and more including FairwayJay’s proprietary data base and stats.

The Seahawks move on from top head coach and the oldest in the league Pete Carroll to the youngest in Mike Macdonald. The 36-year-old brings to Seattle a reputation as one of the league’s top defensive minds, having led the Ravens to No. 1 in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in 2023. MacDonald will try to restore a Seahawks run defense that ranked No. 31 in the league last season allowing 131 yards per game – only Arizona was worse. The Seahawks offensive line ranks No. 31 by PFF to start the season after moving on from a pair of starters and trying to get a pair of young OL back to health and better play. Quarterback Geno Smith regressed last season in his second year starting for Seattle, but the OL needs to play and protect better. Smith struggled against pressure last season, averaging just 5.3 yards per pass attempt with a 50% completion rate. The skill position strength at WR is among the best in the league and similar for running back with Sharp Football ranking both position groups No. 6 in the league. A new offensive coordinator out of college (Washington) may take a stronger passing approach, especially on early downs. The two defensive groups are above average, but they didn’t fare as well against better QB’s last season. The Seahawks finished as DVOA’s 2nd highest variance team based on week-to-week volatile performances. Many questions to be answered for the Seahawks, who play 5-of-6 division games the second half of the season and need a stronger start playing three of the weakest teams in the NFL the first five weeks – Denver, New England and NY Giants. I’m neutral on the Seahawks, and would only bet season wins under at an adjusted number if they get off to a better start with 3 or more wins the first five games.

Pro Football Focus Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2024 Season (Seahawks No. 31, Cardinals No. 26)

Betting: The Seahawks are 16-3 SU and 18-0-1 ATS at home when coming off consecutive losses. Seattle plays three games in 11 days starting in Week 4 at Detroit and ending Week 6 vs. San Francisco. Teams on the 3rd leg in 11 days are just 3-6 SU and ATS (-3.0 ATS margin) since 2000. Five road teams visit Seattle will have more than normal rest. That includes Arizona in Week 12, who comes off a bye. The last five Cardinals-Seahawks games in Seattle have gone under the total. Also, rookie HCs like Macdonald in their first Thursday Night Football game in the first half of the season are just 5-18 ATS (22%, -7.1 ATS margin) and winning just 17% of those games (vs San Fran Week 6). Seattle also has a rough spot in week 17, having to travel on a short week, multiple time zones to Chicago in late December.

FairwayJay has been a top of the leaderboard point spread prognosticator with 57% ATS success posting his NFL underdog picks weekly the past 7 years. That includes an unmatched 70% season in 2021 going 28-12 ATS. His previous NFL handicapping, strategics and sports betting success included 8 straight winning NFL seasons (57.3% ATS) starting in 2003 while independently documented and a professional handicapper including 52-28 ATS (65%) bursting onto the national scene his rookie year (feature Las Vegas Sun). FairwayJay provided weekly insight on a most popular daily sports betting and handicapping radio show heard in Las Vegas and nationwide on SiriusXM radio.

FairwayJay’s NFL handicapping contest success includes back-t0-back 60% seasons and top 6% finishes in the Westgate SuperContest.

Arizona Cardinals 

Season Win Total: (6.5 Over -170) – Bet Under
Division Odds: +1200 / AFC Odds: +5000 / Super Bowl Odds: +12500
Record Last 2 Years: 4-13, 4-13
Head Coach: Jonathan Gannon (2nd year)

Cardinals Schedule, Odds and Props

Division games 
Week 2 Los Angeles Rams (AZ +2.5 / 48.5)
Week 5 at San Francisco 49ers (AZ +9.5 / 47)
Week 12 at Seattle Seahawks (AZ +3/ 46)
Week 14 Seattle Seahawks (AZ -1 / 46)
Week 17 at Los Angeles Rams (AZ +6 / 48)
Week 18 San Francisco 49ers (AZ +4 / 43)

Other Key Games
Week 1 at Buffalo Bills (AZ +6.5 / 48)
Week 3 Detroit Lions (AZ +4 / 50)
Week 6 at Green Bay (AZ +5 / 46.5)
Week 7 Los Angeles Chargers (AZ -1 / 45) MNF
Week 8 at Miami Dolphins (AZ +6 / 48.5)
Week 9 Chicago Bears (AZ +1.5 / 46.5 )
Week 10 New York Jets (AZ +3 / 46.5)

Bye: Week 11

Key Player Props (BetOnline and BetUS)

QB Kyler Murray – O/U 3,450 Passing Yards / 20.5 Passing TD’s / 9.5 INT’s
RB James Conner – O/U 775.5 Rushing Yards / 6.5 Rushing TD’s

Stats and Notes – The Cardinals play six games against teams that hired new head coaches for the 2024 season. All but the Chargers are projected to have sub-par seasons based on season win totals – Commanders, Patriots, Panthers and Seahawks (2x). The Cardinals ranked No. 4 in rushing yards per game (139) last season, and if the offensive line shows better and improves more than their No. 26 ranking, Arizona could surprise with QB Kyler Murray back healthy and new rookie WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. adding a dynamic dimension. The defense hasn’t appeared to add reinforcements after allowing the second-most points in the NFL last season (26.8 PPG) while the worst team in football against the run (143/game). It could be ugly again through the first half of the season with Arizona facing the NFL’s No. 1 most difficult schedule of offenses and by far the toughest over the first eight weeks facing five top-10 offenses. The road schedule the first half of the season is the toughest in the NFL at Buffalo, San Francisco, Green Bay, Miami. The team needs stronger personnel on the defensive side of the ball, and not an overrated QB in Kyler Murray making $231 million who is injured, a huge cap hit and 28-36 as the Cardinals starter. Better health would help too, as the Cardinals finished last season with the 5th worst injury luck, according to Adjusted Games Lost. All the Cardinals position groups rank in the bottom quartile of the league except QB, which is still bottom half and worse if Murray is injured again like his has been most every season with his smaller stature, scrambling and taking to many hits.

Betting: The Cardinals were an underdog in all 17 games last season winning just 4 but covering 9 contests ATS in head coach Jonathan Gannon’s first year in Arizona. They were more competitive than expected losing two close games to start the season 1-2 SU and 3-0 ATS with a huge upset of Dallas as a double-digit underdog. This could be a team to play over the total in their first three contests and/or find props and halftimes to play accordingly with a poor defense and potential on offense if the OL is better.

You can bet on it.

NFC West Seahawks and Cardinals originally posted at OSGA on Aug. 21.