Matt Temple-Marsh is back to preview Thursday night's NFL clash between Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.
NFL betting tips: Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
3pts Seattle Seahawks (-6.5) to beat Arizona Cardinals at 23/10 (bet365)
2pts Jaxon Smith-Njigba 81.5+ receiving yards & Trey McBride 61.5+ receiving yards at 12/5 (bet365)
1pt Jaxon Smith-Njigba 100+ receiving yards & Trey McBride 70+ receiving yards at 49/10 (bet365)
0.5pts Jaxon Smith-Njigba & Trey McBride both to score a touchdown at 5/1 (bet365)
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Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
- Kick-off time: Friday, 0120 BST
- TV: Sky Sports Main Event
- Spread: Seahawks +1 at 10/11
- Total: Over 43.5 at 5/6
Week 4 kicks off in the desert with two 2–1 teams that have taken very different paths to this short-week Thursday. The Seahawks arrive after a dominant Week 3 performance and are averaging big offensive output through three games, while the Cardinals have started 2–1 but they’re looking a lot less convincing.
Seattle lost a tight opener to the 49ers, then beat the Steelers in Week 2 (31–17) and thoroughly dispatched the Saints last time out. Sam Darnold has come in as the new quarterback and looked more than competent – and their defence is looking absolutely legit.
Arizona started 2–0 with wins over New Orleans (failed to pull away against one of the lesser teams) and Carolina (survived a comeback attempt) but fell 16–15 to the 49ers in Week 3 on a last-second Eddy Pineiro field goal – in a game that they near enough gifted to San Francisco with some brutal drops. It’s also worth noting that they’ve lost starting RB James Conner for the season.
Seahawks -6.5
Seeing the lines for this game, I couldn’t believe that the Cardinals were favoured – I fully expect this to flip, so take advantage of this price early. The Seahawks defence has been a force to be reckoned with – this is exactly why they brought in Mike Macdonald. They’re allowing the second fewest points per game this season and have the second most interceptions in the league so far. They’ve blitzed just eight times this season – yet they rank top of the league with 32 pressures. Opposing quarterbacks are pressured on a huge 26% of their plays.
Kyler Murray has been sacked seven times already this season – expect that number to rise on Thursday. Plus, Kyler has yet to blow us away, he’s clocked a 56.3 quarterback rating thus far in 2025 – ranking below Spencer Rattler. His chemistry with Marvin Harrison looks just off – with a couple of grizzly drops last time out.
And we haven’t even talked about the Seahawks offence – Kenneth Walker is rumbling on the ground with three touchdowns, and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a sensation. Through three games he’s logged 22 catches for a huge 323 yards (second in the NFL) and one touchdown. His connection with Darnold is clear to see, and he’s making it clear that he’s one of the best receivers in the league.
To sweeten the pot, the Cardinals are allowing the third most passing yards per game so far in 2025. Finally, recent history favours Seattle greatly – with the Seahawks winning six straight against their NFC West rivals – boasting an average winning margin of 8.8 points. This is a mismatch – the Seahawks are going to roll.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
JSN is the real deal – to kick off the season he’s produced:
- Week 1: 9/13, 124 yards
- Week 2: 8/10, 103 yards
- Week 3: 5/6, 96 yards, 1 touchdown (in a game where the Seahawks were 21-0 up in the blink of an eye, and didn’t need to pass)
He boasts an unreal 37.7% target share – nearly double his nearest teammate, and second highest in the NFL. Sam Darnold has found his top target and keeps returning to the well.
The Cardinals are dealing with injuries in the secondary – rookie Will Johnson couldn’t lace up against the 9ers, and starting CB Garrett Williams landed on injured reserve. They have allowed the third most passing yards in the NFL – and a short week won’t help. Looking back, JSN has three touchdowns in his last four games versus Cardinals and is in a real plus spot here.
Trey McBride
The tight end is one of the few bright spots on this roster – McBride leads the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. He commands a 27% target share, the most of any tight end in the league.
For as formidable as the Seahawks defence is, the soft spot is to tight ends. They’ve allowed the seventh most yards in the league to the position, on top of the most catches and TDs to TEs. The Cardinals will need to rely on McBride to move the chains. In his last two games against Seattle he’s clocked in 7/14 for 70 yards and 12/15 for 133 yards.
Posted at 1640 BST on 24/09/25
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