San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals, Predictions, Odds, Picks

• 49ers rookie backup QB Trey Lance will most likely start under center on Sunday
• The 4-0 Arizona Cardinals have QB Kyler Murray who can scramble for a first down

49ers vs Cardinals Odds

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San Francisco starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (calf strain) is listed as questionable, as is star tight end George Kittle (calf), so rookie backup QB Trey Lance will most likely be under center on Sunday with backup TE Ross Dwelley standing by, not necessarily a bad thing given Lance’s recent success in Week 4, though now he’s facing the 49er’s Top-10 defense.

The 4-0 Arizona Cardinals have proven to be quite tricky to beat, the main reason being their un-containable mobile quarterback Kyler Murray who can scramble for a first down whenever necessary, plus add the rushing attack of Chase Edmonds and James Connor, who last week combined for 170 yards on the ground with 2 touchdowns.

These two NFC West rivals have played each other 59 prior times, with the Arizona Cardinals winning 27 of those games and the San Francisco 49ers winning 32 of the games.

Can San Francisco’s Rookie Backup QB Trey Lance Play Like a Starter?

The Niners’ backup rookie quarterback Trey Lance has seen some playing time already this season, so far with 10 completions for 162 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in three appearances, impressive stats for someone still learning how to play football at the pro level.

Now with starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo listed as questionable with a calf strain, it could be up to Lance to come in and face this undefeated Arizona team and their 11^th ranked pass defense that allows just 221 yards through the air per game.

Lance has some attractive targets to throw footballs towards, with receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and veteran Mohamed Sanu ready to catch passes as well as the soft-handed, route-running tight end George Kittle is he can suit up due to his calf injury.

Can AZ’s Receiving Corps Find Success Against the 49ers Secondary?

Arizona’s number one ranked offense has some downright studs and playmakers involved, starting with receivers DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk and rookie Rondale Moore plus tight end Maxx Williams and running back Chase Edmonds, all reliable targets for Murray.

This unit has averaged 440 total yards of offense per game so far this season and has averaged 35 points per game, also first in the league, offensive production that will be tough to match, especially if it’s the rookie QB Lance out there for the 49ers.

It all centers around quarterback Kyler Murray (below) who forced too much on his own plate last season, but now with all this talent surrounding him, he does not have to feel like every win is solely up to his own ability to scramble and make miracle plays happen.

49ers Key Player: (RBs) Elijah Mitchell and Try Sermon

The Forty-Niners running back room has been bitten by the injury bug, with JaMycal Hasty (ankle), Raheem Mostert (knee – meniscus), and Jeff Wilson (knee – meniscus) all listed out for this one and the foreseeable future.

Headlining San Francisco’s rushing attack on Sunday will be a rookie combination of Elijah Mitchell and Try Sermon, two college stars now starting to make an NFL name for themselves who could use a big game on Sunday to further expand their blossoming pro legacy.

Louisiana alum Mitchell is a 5’ 10” 200 pound missile who so far has had 36 carries 146 yards and a touchdown while Sermon the 6’ 215 pound OSU grad has appeared in 3 games and has rushed the ball 30 times for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Cardinals Key Player: (QB) Kyler Murray

The Cardinals are fortunate enough to have one of the premiere mobile quarterbacks in the league, Kyler Murray, whose rocket arm is MLB worthy while his scrambling skills have saved him from plenty of NFL backfield trouble.

Murray this season has been in rare form, so far with a 4-0 record after completing 102 passes for 1,273 yards and 9 touchdowns with 4 interceptions, the third-year player now leading the league in completion percentage with 76.1.

All impressive stats that have translated into points on the scoreboard and nothing but wins, but now they face a Niners’ defense that likes to get after quarterbacks so Murray will have to keep an eye out for DEs Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead who would absolutely love to chase him down.

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