2023 NFL Odds For Season Win Totals: Are Cardinals Already in Tank Mode?

Image © Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK

✍️ Written by :

Ty Bronicel

🗓 Updated :

Aug 23rd 2023

Don’t expect much at all from the Cardinals this NFL season.

In fact, one former Arizona player believes the Cards have tipped their hand and plan on quickly folding in 2023, four months before the season is set to kick off on Sept. 7.

Why?

Because the franchise made the perplexing decision to wave five-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins last Friday, prompting former Arizona All-Pro cornerback and current New Orleans Saint Tyrann Mathieu to tweet this about the Cardinals: “They tanking fasho fasho.”

The Cardinals are starting a full rebuild under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon and new general manager Monti Ossenfort, who had a great NFL Draft last month.

Ossenfort, through various trades and maneuvers– all the while still landing coveted offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. in the first round (No. 6 overall) – has now stockpiled 11 picks for the 2024 draft, including two first-rounders (their own and the Texans’), a second-rounder and three third-round picks.

As of now, they’ll have six of the top 100 picks next season – quite possibly the No. 1 and No. 2 picks overall.

Impressive.

The top prize in next year’s draft is USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who some regard as the next Patrick Mahomes.

The Cardinals, of course, already have a former Heisman-winning QB in Kyler Murray, but he’s recovering from a reconstructive ACL surgery in January and likely won’t play in Arizona’s season opener Sept. 10 in Washington.

In fact, Murray may miss the entire month of September and possibly more games.

One thing’s certain: Arizona won’t rush to play Murray too soon for fear of another serious injury.

"I know he's making strides," Gannon optimistically told reporters recently. "He's a long way away, but we don't play for a long time either. I feel good with where he's at."

But the bet here is that 36-year-old journeyman Colt McCoy – who turns 37 on Sept. 5 – will be under center against the Commanders in the season opener.

McCoy has been Murray's backup since 2021, has been 2-2 as a starter, completing 71% of his passes for 1,520 yards, and has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Not exactly the NFL ideal for your starting quarterback situation.

Then there’s the fact that the Cardinals have the 11th toughest schedule (a .519 opposing winning percentage) in the league in 2023-24 while also not improving their roster much in the offseason.

All of this leads many to believe, myself included, that the Cards will lay this season down pretty soon after it begins.

They’re looking ahead now to 2024 and there’s no sense in screwing that up with a futile 2023 season.

With all of this in mind, let’s look Arizona’s win total projection – along with every other team – this season.

The odds I’m using are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, one of our favorite sites, along with many other great gambling companies in the U.S. including DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM and more.