With Week 11 of the NFL regular season nearly complete, let’s try to finish strong with Monday night’s matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City.
Here are three bets to make for this “Monday Night Football” clash between these two NFC West rivals, starting with the point spread.
Cardinals +8.5 (-110, DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Cardinals come into this game on the heels of a big emotional win last week against the Rams in Los Angeles. Both starting quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray, were out of that game, allowing Arizona to bond together to get a great team win. The 49ers are hot as they have won two straight with Christian McCaffrey settling into his playmaker role for San Fran. Murray is expected to miss his second consecutive game and McCoy is expected to play, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning. McCoy was efficient against LA, going 26-for-37 for 238 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. This offense still operates at a high level with McCoy so I’m going to take the points with the Cardinals. I’ll bet they will cover the +8.5 points at -110 available on DraftKings.
Over 43 Total Points -110 on DraftKings
My prediction for how this game will flow is that both teams will try to attack from a balanced offensive perspective. The Cardinals were a well-oiled machine last week behind the arm of the 36-year-old McCoy. Top target DeAndre Hopkins had 10 catches for 98 yards and star running back James Conner ran for two touchdowns in a win. Offensively, the 49ers are one of the more balanced teams in the league and possess a wealth of weapons. Jimmy Garoppolo is having another solid season. He’s completing passes at a 67% rate and has 11 touchdowns to only four interceptions. There are stories everywhere on both of these offenses. The 49ers have an elite defense as well, and that’s why this total is set so low at 43 points, but this feels like a 26-20 win for San Francisco to get the over.
Christian McCaffrey anytime touchdown (-135, DraftKings)
My final bet for tonight’s game is for McCaffrey, a player who I believe will be the X-factor in the game and the rest of the season for the 49ers. Since arriving in San Francisco, McCaffrey has been the ultimate weapon for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the offense. CMC had 77 yards from scrimmage last week and was effective in both the pass and run. The week before that against the Rams, he had a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown, showing off his full range of explosive skills. Monday night, on the big stage of MNF in Mexico City, I anticipate his star to shine the brightest. That’s why I’m going to take my chances betting on him for an anytime touchdown at -135 available on DraftKings.
