The two best NFL divisions in 2022 are the AFC and NFC West, so expect this Week 1 clash between Patrick Mahomes and his KC Chiefs and Kyler Murray’s Arizona Cardinals to be as epic as it gets, two teams missing their star receivers for this game so others must step up.
The Chiefs no longer have Tyreek ‘Cheetah’ Hill on their roster to stretch out the defense on the field, and the Cardinals will be without their veteran star receiver DeAndre Hopkins who was suspended six games for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.
Still, both of these teams have plenty of talent and the game could come down to whatever Chiefs veteran HC Andy Reid can think of to outwit Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury, a matchup with plenty of fertile betting opportunities so make sure you do your best to shop around.
Check out NFL Week 1 parlays and prop bets!
Kansas City Chiefs vs Arizona Cardinals Predictions
Can Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes be Effective with Remaining Chiefs WRs?
When the Chiefs started last season with a 3-4 record, plenty of KC haters figured the mystery of QB Patrick Mahomes had been solved, but they shut up quickly as Kansas City then won eight straight going 12-5 on the season and ending up a field goal short of the Super Bowl.
Now Mahomes will be without his favorite target, WR Tyreek Hill, the speedy Cheetah who kept defenses scrambling to cover him, a luxury the QB will be without this season, so that job must go to the fast receivers who remain, including Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman.
Watch for Mahomes and HC Andy Reid to target Cardinals CB Marco Wilson who struggled in coverage last season, but also keep an eye on Arizona DE J.J. Watt, a veteran QB sacker who will be going up against essentially the same stellar O-line as the Chiefs fielded last season.
Can the Cardinals WR Corps Excel While DeAndre Hopkins Sits Out?
The first thing Arizona QB Kyler Murray most likely wants to do on the field in Week 1 is to prove the shocking offseason accusations of his poor study habits are false, and he can only do that by being overly prepared as he takes on this talented Chiefs team in front of his home crowd.
It’s a good thing Murray is mobile, because the scrambling QB has been sacked 106 times in his three NFL seasons, 31 last year alone, so fortunately Murray can also throw well on the run, completing 69.2 percent of his passes in 2021 for 3,787 yards and 24TDs and just 10 INTs.
Murray will be without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins who was suspended six games for testing positive for a banned substance, so he will rely on A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, and newly acquired Marquise Brown as they all do their best to challenge Chiefs rookie CB Trent McDuffie.
Get the best sports betting promo codes for Arizona Cardinals!
Chiefs Key Player: (TE) Travis Kelce
These two football franchises feature a pair of arguably the top tight ends in pro football, with the Chiefs Travis Kelce able to get open and catch the ball like a receiver while using his size – 6’ 5” and 250 pounds – and relative speed – he runs a 4.61 forty-yard dash – to evade tackles.
The notoriously healthy Kelce started all sixteen games last season and caught 92 passes for 1,125 yards and 9 TDs, and that is while serving as part of the offensive line, a role the 3x First Team All-Pro and 7x Pro Bowler takes as seriously as he does his route running and juking.
Expect Cardinals Budda Baker to cover Kelce, or at least try, the 5’ 10” and 195 pound veteran safety not a physical match for Travis but he has the toughness to stay with the TE, last season posting 3 interceptions and 7 passes defended along with 98 total tackles and 3 QB hits.
Cardinals Key Player: (TE) Zach Ertz
The other star TE playing in this matchup is Arizona’s Zach Ertz, now in his tenth NFL season and one of the few at his position to have mastered both blocking and pass-catching, skills he honed first at Stanford and then playing for the Philadelphia Eagles including a Super Bowl win.
Unfortunately, Ertz is listed as questionable for Week 1 due to a calf injury he suffered during the preseason and is said to be “coming along” according to HC Kingsbury, a potential loss that becomes even larger when you add the fact that WR Hopkins will also be out of this game.
If he can, Ertz will suit up, a tough veteran who moved over to the Cardinals mid-season last year, still productive despite the new playbook and teammates, posting 56 receptions off 81 targets for 574 yards and 3 TDs for his new team, a production that should evolve in 2022.
Other NFL Games Happening This Week
Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams
Cleveland Browns vs Carolina Panthers
New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins
/fit-in/222x222/frame-1-1.png)
/filters:no_upscale()/fit-in/1200x585/1665738980/chiefs-vs-cardinals-predictions-kyler-murray.jpg.jpeg "chiefs-vs-cardinals-predictions-kyler-murray")
/frame-1-1.png )
/1666348923/mike-lukas.png "Mike lukas")
/dmca.png "Dmca"){kind=small}
/1670944202/21.png "21"){kind=small}
/1670944628/2022-igb-best-casino-affiliate-gig-media-e1651053747946.png "2022 igb best casino affiliate gig media e1651053747946"){kind=small}
/1670944701/gig-media-power-affiliates-rank-123x40-1.png "Gig media power affiliates rank 123x40 1"){kind=icon}
/1670944773/800-gambler-black-144x40.jpg "800 gambler black 144x40"){kind=small}
/1718715753/gpwa.webp "Gpwa"){kind=small}
