NFL Week 10: Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons betting picks, preview
The Arizona Cardinals will play host to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon, and this won't be the same 1-8 Cardinals team we've seen all year. Kyler Murray, who missed the first nine games of the year due to an ACL injury, will make his season debut in Week 10.
How much he will improve this weak Arizona roster remains to be seen, but it will at least be refreshing to see one of the most electric quarterbacks in the NFL back on the field.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons betting odds, preview
Spread: Falcons -1.5, Over/under: 43.5, Moneyline: Falcons -122 | Cardinals +105
It might seem odd to see a 1-8 team set as a 1.5-point underdog to a 4-5 team in the NFL, but the Cardinals are getting a major boost on offense in Week 10. Not only will Murray be back under center for the first time this season, but running back James Conner is also on pace to play for the first time since Week 5.
This offense will look much different than it did in Week 9 when Clayton Tune led Arizona to a measly 58 yards of offense against the Cleveland Browns.
As for the Falcons, they're coming off an embarrassing loss to Josh Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings. Atlanta has now lost three of its last four games and five of its last seven after a 2-0 start. Taylor Heinicke will make his third consecutive start over Desmond Ridder even though he's gone 0-2 since taking the job.
Cardinals vs. Falcons betting picks
Falcons -1.5 (-108 FanDuel)
No one wants to put their hard-earned money on the Falcons right now, but we'll gladly take the contrarian angle here.
Murray's return is clearly impacting this spread, but it's gone a bit too far. There's a good chance Murray struggles in his first NFL start in 11 months. We can't expect the quarterback to immediately return to his old self, and it will be hard for him to trust his legs as much as he did last year.
Murray and Conner will give the offense a boost, sure, but there's not much they can do about Arizona's 28th-ranked scoring defense. The Falcons will be able to move the ball up and down the field, and a rusty Murray won't be able to keep up.
Taylor Heinicke over 1.5 passing touchdowns (+150 DraftKings)
The Falcons should be able to have success throwing the ball against the Cardinals secondary, and we know Heinicke is going to let it fly in a crucial game before the bye week. Arizona let Deshaun Watson have his second-best passing game of the season and throw for two touchdowns last week, and Heinicke can exploit this defense in the same way.
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