The 2024 season will be an interesting year for the Arizona Cardinals. They’re coming off a 4-13 season, but are now in their second season under general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon. They finished the 2023 season with a 3-5 record as Kyler Murray returned from an ACL injury. Vegas has the Cardinals maintaining a similar pace in 2024, with most oddsmakers setting the Over/Under on wins between 6.5 and 7.5.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Kevin Rogers of Vegas Insider listed all the over/under win totals for the 32 NFL teams. DraftKings, Bally Bets, and BetRivers have Arizona at 6.5 wins. Caesar’s Sportsbook, BetMGM, and FanDuel have more optimistic projections, with the O/U set to 7, 7.5, and 7.5 respectively. It’s worth noting that Vegas was on the dot for predicting the Cardinals’ win total from last season. The O/U was set to 4.5 wins, right around the four wins they got in 2023.
The Cardinals are projected to finish in last place in the NFC West for the second consecutive season, with the San Francisco leading at 10.5, then Los Angeles at 8.5, and Seattle at 7.5.
Arizona has a lot of variance for how their 2024 season could go. It starts with the play of starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who has flashed the ability to be a Top 10 starter but has yet to put it together consistently. A breakthrough 2021 season that earned a massive contract extension was followed up by a disaster season that ended with an ACL injury. With a healthy offseason, he’ll have a chance to prove his worth to the organization in 2024.
The Cardinals have added weapons to the offense. Marvin Harrison Jr. was the top player selected by the Cardinals, going No. 4 overall, and his ability to quickly grasp the playbook could have an impact on their season. Harrison joins a receiving corps that includes Trey McBride coming off an 80-catch season at tight end and Michael Wilson picking up over 500 receiving yards as a rookie. While not as comparable to the 2021 squad, which featured DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and Zach Ertz, it’s the best supporting cast Murray has had since.
Another factor in how the 2024 season will go from a win-loss standpoint will be how much the defense improves. The Cardinals gave up the second most points in the NFL last season, with 26.8 per game. It was a unit that struggled to stop the run or put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Arizona has invested a lot of resources on the defense in the offseason, with the intent to add guys who set a strong example in the locker room.
The Cardinals quarterback certainly thinks highly of his team. On July 12, Murray posted a shirtless picture of him working out with a 10-lb. weighted ball on Instagram with the caption “Bet the Over”.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
