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2026 Arizona Cardinals Predictions with Best Bets and Odds to Win the Super Bowl

by Spencer Toth - 7/27/2026

Arizona Cardinals predictions Jeremiyah Love

The Arizona Cardinals have rock-bottom expectations heading into the 2026 NFL season, with the lowest projected win total in the league. The Kyler Murray experience is finally over, the front office has been blown up, and Arizona will look to start the next chapter of Cardinals football. However, the road to relevancy will not be easy this season in the NFC West. They find themselves in a division with the Super Bowl favorites (Rams), the reigning Super Bowl champions (Seahawks), and perennial contenders who have reached at least the NFC championship game in five of the last seven seasons (49ers). Can the Cardinals exceed expectations, or will it be another disappointing season in Arizona?

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Arizona Cardinals Offseason Recap

The Arizona Cardinals were active in the offseason as they look to rebound from their 3-14 campaign last year. Arizona has only made the playoffs once in the last decade, and it was time for them to move on from Kyler Murray after selecting him first overall in the 2019 NFL draft. The decision to release Murray was not an easy one, especially considering the Cardinals had to eat significant dead money to make the move possible. Murray finished his Cardinals tenure with the third-most passing yards (20,460) and touchdowns (121), and the second-most completions with 1,974. Arizona now has Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck in the quarterback room, and it is looking like Brissett will be the primary signal-caller to open the season for Arizona. There is nothing wrong with Jacoby Brissett, who has carved out a nice NFL career as a low-end starter or high-end backup, but the reality is that he is not the man who will ignite this offense. Brissett is serviceable; he will win a few games, but it is increasingly unlikely he will represent an immediate upgrade over Murray. 

Sticking in the backfield, the Cardinals overhauled their running back room with a pair of crucial changes. In the NFL draft, they drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick, making him just the second running back drafted in the top three in the last 14 years alongside Saquon Barkley. Love is expected to give the Cardinals an immediate boost on offense, as his big-play ability combined with soft hands will make him the focal point of many play calls. It is always risky taking a running back so high in the draft, but talents like Love who can truly do it all don’t come around often. Love was not the only change in the backfield, as Tyler Allgeir joins Arizona after playing for the Falcons last year. Allgeir will have no problem sharing the ball as he did with Bijan Robinson in Atlanta, and will use his physicality to keep defenses guessing while Love looks to break through. A sturdy offensive line anchored by new arrival Isaac Seumalo will transform this Cardinals offense into a competent unit. 

New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is making his head coaching debut this season in Arizona after spending the last five years as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Rams. LaFleur is the younger brother of legendary Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, but will be looking to leave his own mark on the league in Arizona. 

2026 Arizona Cardinals Season Expectations

The Arizona Cardinals haven’t won the NFC West since 2015, and have strung together four straight sub-.500 seasons with a combined record of 19-49. While a fresh season can always bring surprises, the Cardinals have some of the lowest expectations in the league. They have elected to use their high draft picks at the skill positions in recent seasons, but Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn’t developed into the dominant receiver he was expected to. Quarterback struggles by Murray were certainly a factor, and a realistic goal this year is simply to develop Harrison and Love to potentially be competitive in 2027. Their offensive line is still subpar, their defense leaves plenty to be desired in the middle of the field, and there are truly very few bright spots to highlight with this team. 

2026 Arizona Cardinals Schedule Breakdown

The Arizona Cardinals have the fourth-hardest schedule based on last year’s win percentages, and considering they finished fourth in their division, that says quite a lot. The NFC West is loaded with three legitimate contenders, leaving the Cardinals desperate for wins elsewhere. If we expand it to Vegas’ win totals rather than last year’s win percentages, the Cardinals have the most difficult schedule in the NFL by a significant margin. 

In addition to their six divisional games, Arizona must play the NFC East and AFC West, which are expected to be two of the strongest divisions this year alongside the NFC West. They only play five teams expected to miss the playoffs this year (Giants, Commanders, Saints, Jets, and Raiders), and play some of the best teams across the league otherwise. Their bye is very late in Week 14, and then three of their final four games are against those previously listed teams. That means the Cardinals will almost certainly be 3-10 or worse at that stage of the season, and could be one of the first teams eliminated from playoff contention as a result. 

2026 Arizona Cardinals Odds

The Arizona Cardinals are expected to finish dead last in the league, and it is hard to argue with that analysis. Not only is the roster in Arizona full of holes that will be exploited, but they also have the hardest schedule by a wide margin. They have astonishing +10000 odds to win the NFC West, and +1800 odds to make the playoffs. There isn’t even a point of talking about their +100000 Super Bowl odds, as it would likely take 31 other starting quarterbacks getting injured to even give the Cardinals a chance. 

On their floor, the Cardinals have +230 odds to finish with the worst regular-season record, -700 odds to finish last in the NFC West, and -15000 odds to miss the playoffs. The expectations could not be lower for Arizona heading into the new season, as their 4.5 win total is the lowest in the league. 

2026 Arizona Cardinals Season Predictions and Best Bets

While we won’t be sprinkling on any Cardinals’ longshots, there are still a few markets that are worth exploring surrounding this team. While there isn’t much money to be made fading this team, I find it incredibly hard to find more than 1-2 wins on their schedule. The Cardinals may head into their Week 14 bye with a 1-12 or even 0-13 record, as their only winnable games are in the tail end of the season. If that is the case, the front office will likely look to shut things down early to protect their draft pick, giving the Cardinals a clear path to the worst overall record. The Dolphins, Browns, and Jets are also expected to have poor seasons, but the Cardinals' combination of a difficult schedule and nothing to play for in the second half will allow them to claim the bottom spot. A flat-out 0-17 record is unlikely, but I expect the Cardinals to finish 1-16 this year. Taking them to have the worst record at +230 is the best bet to make, and you can also use them to finish last in the NFC at -700 as a parlay piece with other division futures. Their straight-up win total is 4.5 wins, but with a -150 price tag on the under, there isn’t much money to be made. If you can find a 3.5 win total with plus money odds, it could be worthwhile, but the sharpest play is to swing for the fences with the worst record leaguewide. 

Best Bet: Worst Record in the League +230

Bet: Fourth in the NFC West -700

Bet: Under 3.5 Wins at Plus Money

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