Seahawks vs Cardinals Week 9 Picks and Predictions: Walker III Does Damage in the Desert

NFC West rivals will go toe-to-toe in Week 9 as the surging Seattle Seahawks visit the Arizona Cardinals. While Geno Smith and the 5-3 Seahawks continue to exceed expectations, Kyler Murray and the 3-5 Cardinals are under pressure to turn their season around.

These teams squared off in Week 6, with Seattle grinding out a 19-9 victory and holding Murray to 222 passing yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. That kicked off the Seahawks’ three-game win streak, which includes an impressive 27-13 result against the Giants last weekend.

Arizona is coming off a back-and-forth 34-26 loss to the Vikings in Week 8, which keeps the heat on Kliff Kingsbury. Still, in a tightly packed division, a win here would pull the Cardinals right back into NFC West contention.

Find out more in our free NFL picks and predictions for Seahawks vs. Cardinals on Sunday, November 6.

Seahawks vs Cardinals best odds

Seahawks vs Cardinals picks and predictions

Geno Smith’s career revival has understandably dominated the Seattle headlines this season, with the veteran quarterback pressing all the right buttons to maximize this Seahawks offense. Kenneth Walker III is also quickly emerging as the perfect sidekick. Walker has been a revelation since stepping in for Rashaad Penny (out for the year). He announced himself with a 69-yard touchdown run in Week 5 in New Orleans and has barely slowed down since.

With five touchdowns over the last four games, Walker knows how to find the end zone. He has earned the trust of Smith and Pete Carroll as Seattle’s goal-line running back, grabs the lion’s share of the early-down work, and is always a threat to break free for a big play. In Week 6, he pounded his way through the Arizona run defense for 97 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries.

While I’m expecting the Cardinals to do a better job here, Walker III will have opportunities in the red zone. After all, Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook burned Arizona for 111 rushing yards and a touchdown last time out. Smith’s connection with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett frees up the ground game too.

The Seahawks have shown a willingness to take deep shots down the field — and that should prevent the Cardinals from loading the box against the run. Sunday’s showdown may well look rather different from the Week 6 meeting, but I like a Walker touchdown to be one of the common themes.

My best bet: Kenneth Walker III anytime touchdown (+100)

Seahawks vs Cardinals spread analysis

The Cardinals start as narrow favorites here, but that feels like a shaky pick. Arizona is 0-5 against the spread in its last five games against NFC West opponents and is still searching for consistent form. The biggest difference from the Week 6 meeting is the return of DeAndre Hopkins, who was still serving a suspension back in mid-October.

Hopkins has been a target magnet since getting back on the field — and he hauled in 12 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. After a rough start, the Seahawks have been steadily improving defensively. That unit bottled up Saquon Barkley last weekend and can double-team Hopkins without leaving itself vulnerable.

The visitors understand what it takes to corral Kyler Murray — and that plan looked solid three weeks ago as the Cardinals failed to score an offensive touchdown. This feels close to a must-win for Arizona, yet Seattle continues to look like the more complete team.

I'm taking the points with the in-form Seahawks, who could well win this game outright.

Seahawks vs Cardinals Over/Under analysis

With this line, the oddsmakers have at least somewhat thrown out the low-scoring Week 6 game. That makes sense, given the return of Hopkins and the high-powered offense from both teams in the past two weeks. Even so, the numbers lean towards the Under, which has hit in five of Seattle’s last six games and is 6-0 in the Seahawks’ last six November matches.

While Walker has been running the show in the Seattle ground game, it’s tough to know what type of scoring impact to expect from the Cardinals’ backfield, with James Conner on his way back from injury (he missed Week 6).

Eno Benjamin has deputized capably for Arizona, so how will Kingsbury divide up the touches? Don’t be surprised if this is another cagey contest with both defenses coming up with key stops.

Seahawks vs Cardinals betting trend to know

The underdog has gone 12-3-1 ATS in this matchup over the past 16 meetings. Find more NFL betting trends for Seahawks vs. Cardinals.

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