The Jets are 0-4 and one of the worst teams in football as they prepare for the 2-2 Cardinals. To make matters worse, the Jets won’t have quarterback Sam Darnold due to a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 4.
Let’s dive into this Week 5 matchup.
The Jets vs. Cardinals betting preview features odds, picks, and a prediction.
Preview
Jets fans should look away right now. On Sunday, the offense is going to be led by Joe Flacco, Frank Gore, and Chris Hogan with Adam Gase calling plays.
Darnold hasn’t played up to his potential this year and it shows in the team’s record. The Buffalo Bills rolled to a win against the Jets in Week 1, the San Francisco 49ers obliterated Gang Green in Week 2, and the Indianapolis Colts steamrolled New York in Week 3.
It wasn’t until Week 4 when the Jets played the Denver Broncos that they had their first lead of the season. They couldn’t hold onto their first lead of the season, but it was fun while it lasted.
The Jets are 31st in scoring, 26th in rushing, 32nd in passing, and 32nd in total yards. It’s safe to say that the “brilliant offensive mind” that is Adam Gase is struggling to get anything going offensively this year.
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The Cardinals are not invincible, but they are head and shoulders better than the Jets right now. Kyler Murray is turning into a great quarterback and he is already a nightmare for defenses. He already has four rushing and seven passing touchdowns on the season.
With all this said, the Cardinals are on a two-game losing streak after losses to the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions. In other words, they are vulnerable when they play lesser teams.
Add in the fact that the Jets have had a long week to prepare for Arizona and there is at least a sliver of hope that they can pull off the upset. Remember, they played on Thursday night in Week 4.
Jets vs. Cardinals Odds
Unsurprisingly, oddsmakers have the Jets as the big underdog in this one.
The Jets are +7 on the spread line and +275 on the moneyline. Those moneyline odds translate to roughly a 27% chance at winning for the Jets. The over-under is set to 47.5 points.
Even though the Jets are winless this season, they must have covered the spread in one of those losses, right? Wrong. The Jets are 0-4 against the spread this season. The Jets lost by double digits in their first three games and by nine last week against the Broncos. So yes, the Jets have yet to lose a game by fewer than two scores. That would indicate that the Cardinals -7 is a safe bet.
If you don’t love the idea of taking the Cardinals with such a big spread, they are a very safe bet on the moneyline. Part of the issue there is that you’ll need to risk a big chunk of cash to win anything. Arizona’s moneyline is set to -333 which means you need to bet $333 to win $100.
Although they can’t seem to cover a spread, three Jets games this season have gone over the total points. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have hit the under three times and pushed once.
Win Probability
FiveThirtyEight‘s ELO model gives the Jets a 38% chance to win and the ELO point spread is set to Cardinals -3.5. Based on this model, the Jets would appear to be a solid bet at +7. Anyone who has watched the Jets play this season would be crazy to take them on the moneyline.
Still, this ELO model seems to indicate that the Jets have a better chance at winning than the sportsbooks are giving them credit for. Playing at home could give them an advantage over Arizona. Sure, there are no fans in the stands, but they don’t have to travel cross country for this game.
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CLAIM OFFER!How to watch/listen to Jets-Cardinals
Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM (New York), ESPN 98.7 FM (Arizona)
Why take the Jets?
Again, take the Jets at your own risk, but if you have your heart set on Gang Green, here’s why you should feel OK about it. The Jets aren’t going to go winless this season. At some point, they will surprise us with a win that no one saw coming.
This almost feels like the perfect storm for that to happen. They had a long week to prepare with the veteran Joe Flacco taking over. The Cardinals are on a two-game losing streak and have to travel all the way to the east coast for this one.
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If defensive coordinator Gregg Williams can figure out a way to contain Kyler Murray, the Jets could hang around long enough to give the Cardinals trouble. If Murray has a down game, the Jets will likely cover the seven-point spread.
Why take the Cardinals?
Well, the best reason to take the Cardinals is because they’re playing the Jets. As we noted earlier, the Jets rank last in the league in scoring, total yards, and passing yards this season. They have a hard time trying to come from behind to win games and if Murray can get his team out to an early lead, the Cardinals could cruise to a double-digit victory.
It’s also unlikely that the Cardinals will look past the Jets and have a “letdown” game. The NFC West is a bloodbath this year and if the Cardinals want to hang around in that division race, they can’t keep losing to bad teams. Beating up on the Jets would be a good way to regain some of the momentum they had earlier in the season.
Jets vs. Cardinals Betting Prediction
Adam Gase needs a win in the worst possible way, but it’s not coming this week. The Jets are bereft of talent on the offensive side of the ball and starting Flacco isn’t going to turn the tide enough to change much. They are still running out Frank Gore and Chris Hogan as some of the best skill-position players on the team.
Murray is also going to be a lot for the Jets defense to handle. He can beat you in the air or on the ground and the Jets haven’t been great at stopping teams in either respect. We expect the Cardinals to cruise to a double-digit victory in MetLife.
Jets vs. Cardinals Pick
This is an easy call. The Jets might hold Murray down for a little while to keep the game close, but they don’t have the firepower to stay with the Cardinals for four quarters.
Final Score Prediction: Cardinals win 31-10
