Gridiron Experts

Cardinals: One Hit Wonders, or Threat to Repeat?-Mike Rodriguez

This year the Cardinals are projected to win 8.5 games, are 15/2 to win the NFC Championship game, and 15/1 to win the Super Bowl. Are these Vegas odds making your head spin? Well, to summarize, the odds that the Arizona Cardinals are going back to Super Bowl, or even the playoffs, are not good.


At first glance, the Cardinals chances seem great. Pro bowler Kurt Warner, despite his age of 37, is still arguably one of the top QB’s in the NFL. Safety Adrian Wilson leads a much underrated defensive unit that played great down the stretch last year. The Cards also have one of the most lethal receiving cores in the game. Locking up Anquan Boldin would make everyone feel a little better about the 2009 season, but the fact he wasn’t traded is a good sign. Larry Fitzgerald is an elite playmaker who needs Boldin in the line up to free up double (even triple) coverage.

The NFC West was a walking band-aid last year, and should not be considered as weak as many people think. With some of the improvements made this off-season, there is no way any one team will win the division with ease. The Seattle Seahawks grabbed Houshmandzadeh in free agency, helping a laughable receiving core get better quickly; key players Deion Brach and Matt Hasselbeck are both returning from injury. A fresh start with new coach Jim Mora could also be good for some of these seasoned Seattle veterans. Not since the 1992 season have the Seattle Seahawks had such a low win total. The shocking 4-12 season will be huge motivation to improve quickly and challenge for a playoff spot.
The Rams lost playmaker Torry Holt and veteran LT Orlando Pace, but look somewhat strong after bringing in the New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to lead the pack. The Rams had an excellent draft and even made a few solid free agent signings.
The San Francisco 49ers, who were ghosts in free agency, came away laughing after Oakland passed on Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree at the NFL Draft in April. The only question now is who’s going to lead this young team? The right quarterback might have the 49ers finally pulling out of the repair shop with a serious muscle car.


The Cardinals didn’t get to the Super Bowl by default, they knocked off three strong offensive teams: Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles. With each playoff win the team grew more confidence, but an off-season of headaches may hurt the Cardinals 2009 season. Top teams always get picked apart in free agency, although losing as many starters as Arizona did hasn’t sat well with the loyal fan base, not to mention losing both their defensive and offensive coordinators Clancy Pendergast and Todd Haley. Even with the additions of RB Beanie Wells and Safety Rashad Johnson in the draft, this team has the look of being dubbed a one hit wonder. Too many losses on defense and the shake up of the coaching staff will mean the offense will be forced to win games in a shoot out fashion. This is great news if you have fantasy players, but hard to rely on down the stretch of the NFL season. The Cardinals schedule isn’t easy, playing 4 out of 5 road games starting in the middle of November, while going up against many up and coming teams such as the Jaguars, Texans, Bears, and Packers. Gridiron Experts predicts anywhere between a 6 to 9 win season.

NFL Over/Under Season Win Totals-Mike Rodriguez

This is the Over and Under odds for team wins in the 2009 season. For those who don’t know, the numbers next to the win totals are the payouts as far as what you need to put up in order to place the bet. For example to bet on the Patriots to win Over 11.5 wins next year, you would have to put up $120 to win $100 (Over -120). If the odds are a positive number then it works the opposite way; for example to bet the Titans to not win more than 9.5 games next year (Under +120) you would win $120 on a $100 bet. It’s always easier to use a $100 bet to figure out how much you would need to bet, but is not required as a minimum to place a bet.

Here are a couple of bets that call out to me:

Washington Redskins Over 8 (even money) – The Skins had a good draft and added Albert Haynesworth in free agency so go ahead and start betting online. They won both games against the Eagles last year and played tough against the Cowboys & Giants. The schedule is in their favor as they visit the AFC West this year and get to play the Rams and Lions.

Miami Dolphins Over 7 (-115) – The Dolphins schedule is very difficult, but 7 wins is a little insulting. This team has made some real strides this off-season and should get at least 3 wins from their division. Throw in a couple home games with that draining Miami heat (that kills visiting teams), and they should be able to crack 8+ wins this year.

New England Patriots Under 11.5 (even money) – There’s no guarantee the Patriots are back to being a powerhouse. Sure Brady’s healthy, and the team hasn’t lost too many of their core players, but their schedule is brutal. Aside from the improved AFC East, the Pats face off against the Colts, Ravens, Falcons, Saints, Jaguars, and Panthers. To say the Patriots are only going to lose 4 games all year is a bold statement and a bad bet;the league is constantly changing, and any given Sunday a team can steal a win.