NFL 2025: Arizona Cardinals Over/Under For Wins

• For the 2025 NFL season, oddsmakers have the Arizona Cardinals’ over-under wins at 8.5
• Arizona was in contention for the NFC West title in 2024, but faded late and finished 8-9
• Entering his seventh year, the pressure is on quarterback Kyler Murray to lead the team to a breakthrough season
• The Cardinals radically changed their defense, focusing on the line

Murray Was Solid, but His Critics Want Spectacular

Quarterback Kyler Murray arguably had his best statistical season in the league in 2024. Murray had his second-best total yards passing, completions, and fewest interceptions. He threw for 21 TDs and had a 93.5 passer rating. And he rushed for 572 yards on 78 carries.

Still, the team epitomized mediocrity with its 8-9 finish. More is expected from the former first overall draft pick who won the Heisman Trophy and chose football over baseball after having been the ninth overall pick of the Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft.

While the Cardinals’ struggles should not be laid at Murray’s feet, the star gets the credit and the blame. That’s the deal.

2025 being a make-or-break year for Murray is probably overblown. He’s part of the solution and not part of the problem. He’s signed long term, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find someone markedly better immediately.

He has been unfairly maligned for hard-to-quantify factors like a lack of leadership and seeming indifference. True or not, there’s no denying his ability.

Respected veteran Jacoby Brissett was signed to be his backup.

By the numbers, Arizona’s offense was middle-of-the-pack, but they have the weapons to put up a ton of points. After a slow start, 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. caught 62 balls and scored 8 TDs. Tight end Trey McBride grabbed 111 balls. James Conner rushed for 1,094 yards on 236 carries.

Arizona Made Substantive Defensive Changes

Head coach Jonathan Gannon’s specialty is defense, and in 2024, the Cardinals’ defense was inconsistent. They held the Lions to 20 points, the Chargers to 15 points, the Bears to 9 points, the Jets to 6 points, and the Rams to 13 points. They also gave up 41 points to the Rams, 42 to the Commanders, 34 to the Packers, and 36 to the Panthers in the loss that destroyed their playoff hopes.

The offseason moves focused on defense. Soon-to-be 39-year-old Calais Campbell returns to Arizona, where his career began in 2008. The defensive lineman can still be effective if used judiciously and will help in the locker room. They also signed defensive linemen Dalvin Tomlinson and Josh Sweat.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, they selected All-American defensive tackle Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss in the first round. In the third round, they took defensive end Jordan Burch from Oregon. To boost the secondary, they took Michigan cornerback Will Johnson in the second round.

The Cardinals’ 2025 Schedule Is a Challenge

The NFC West has historically been one of the league’s tougher divisions, but it had an overall down year in 2024. The 49ers’ injuries opened the door, and the Rams ended up being the team that walked through and nearly made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

A break here or there, and that could have been the Cardinals.

Will the NFC West be as underwhelming in 2025? The Cardinals play six games against the new-look Seahawks, the Rams, and the Niners.

For the rest of their schedule, they visit the Saints, Colts, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Texans, and Bengals. They host the Panthers, Packers, Titans, Jaguars, and Falcons.

Cardinals Over/Under For Wins

The 49ers will assuredly be better in 2025. The Rams are good. The Seahawks are moving forward with a new quarterback in Sam Darnold.

At first glance, there are several teams on the schedule that the Cardinals should be favored against. But those non-playoff teams, including the Bengals, Jaguars, Titans, and Panthers, are expected to be better.

Will Murray handle the pressure, stay in the pocket instead of immediately scrambling, and get Harrison more involved? Is the Cardinals’ defense sufficiently improved to keep them competitive in the tough games?

It is a hard road for the Cardinals, and they will finish with fewer than 8.5 wins.