Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers: Week 4 Predictions, Picks and Odds 10/1/23

The Arizona Cardinals slayed a giant in Week 3, shocking the Dallas Cowboys as 12.5-point underdogs.

Can they bring down another Goliath on Sunday?

The Cardinals travel to face the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, who are listed as gargantuan favorites for their Week 4 NFC West clash. Here is a look at the odds, courtesy of BetMGM on September 28th.

Spread: 49ers -14
Moneyline: 49ers -1000; Cardinals +625
Over/Under: 44

The oddsmakers are unmoved by Arizona’s strong start to the season, despite it leading in every game heading into the fourth quarter through three weeks.

But it feels like a near-certainty that San Francisco jumps out to a lead in this game, and if that happens, quarterback Joshua Dobbs will be in the unfamiliar position of needing to make a bunch of plays with his arm.

The Cardinals are playing hard, and they should hang around for awhile, but eventually the 49ers’ superior talent will win out. A late defensive touchdown could push San Fran to cover.

Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers Betting Prediction

The 49ers are No. 2 in offensive efficiency and No. 4 in defensive efficiency through three games. The Cardinals aren’t too far behind but one team’s start feels sustainable, while there is the concern of a sharp drop-off for the other.

I love what Arizona has done so far, and if it stays competitive in this game, it may be time to look at the season completely differently.

However, the caliber of athlete on the San Francisco offense is going to be tough for the Cardinals to stop. 

When Arizona is running the ball and remaining balanced, it has shown to be extremely effective, but if the 49ers get ahead this game could go sideways.

This is similar to my thought-process about the Dallas game and the Cardinals made that prediction looked hilariously wrong. But I think the first blowout loss of the season is coming on Sunday.

Prediction: 49ers 30, Cardinals 13

Prop Bet Pick: San Francisco 49ers Running Back Christian McCaffrey Over/Under 80.5 Rushing Yards

It’s been a monster start to the NFL season for McCaffrey, who is averaging 117.7 rushing yards per game over the first three weeks.

He’s a dynamic talent and the San Francisco offensive line is great at paving holes, while coach Kyle Shanahan is an elite play-caller.

The Cardinals have been about league average against the pass this season but not great against the run. This certainly looks like a mismatch on paper and I’d expect McCaffrey to have another big-time performance on the ground.

The main concern is a lack of touches if the 49ers run out to a big lead, but Shanahan has been willing to play his starters deep into games and that could help McCaffrey here.

Prediction: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey over 80.5 rushing yards (-120 at BetMGM)

How To Watch Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers will host the Arizona Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 1, 2023, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game can be seen on FOX.