The Arizona Cardinals will face off against the Buffalo Bills at 1:00 ET on Sunday, September 8th. This matchup is being played at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.

The over/under line for the week one non-conference matchup between the Cardinals and Bills is 48 points. The Bills are favored on the money line at -271, and they are -6 point favorites on the point spread. This one is being televised on CBS at 1:00 ET as the Cardinals and Bills both play their first game of the season. The Cardinals’ money line odds are +220.

• Date: Sunday, September 8th
• Time: 1:00 ET
• Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park
• TV: CBS

Cardinals vs Bills

The Cardinals’ 2023 season was a tough one, as they won just four games, going 4-13 overall. Within their division, they were winless at 0-6, and they finished 3-9 in the NFC. Arizona’s only wins came against non-conference opponents, where they went 1-4. As underdogs in every game, the Cardinals were 9-8 against the spread, including a 5-3 mark at home and 4-5 on the road.

Their over/under record was 10-7, with their games averaging a combined 46.2 points per game. When facing teams with above .500 records, Arizona went 3-10, and against teams with below .500 records, they went 1-3.

The Cardinals’ 2023 season was a tough one, as they went 4-13 overall, putting them at the bottom of the NFC West. Within their division, they were winless at 0-6. Arizona’s only wins came in non-conference games, where they went 1-4. They were the underdog in all of their matchups last year.

Against the spread, the Cardinals were 9-8, and they were 5-3 ATS at home and 4-5 ATS on the road. When facing teams with above .500 records, they went 6-7 ATS, and they were 3-1 ATS against below .500 teams. The over/under was 10-7 in Arizona’s games last year, with an average combined scoring of 46.2 points.

Cardinals Injury Report

• Carter O’Donnell – Undisclosed (Out)
• BJ Ojulari – Knee (Out)
• Zay Jones – Suspension (Out)
• Darius Robinson – Calf (Out)
• Christian Jones – Ankle (Out)
• Jon Gaines II – Finger (Questionable)
• Elijah Jones – Ankle (Out)
• Darren Hall – Hip (Questionable)

Bills Injury Report

• Cole Bishop – Shoulder (Questionable)
• Javon Solomon – Calf (Questionable)
• Mike Edwards – Hamstring (Questionable)
• Austin Johnson – Calf (Questionable)
• Mitchell Trubisky – Knee (Questionable)
• Curtis Samuel – Toe (Probable)
• Nicholas Morrow – Groin (Questionable)
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Neck (Probable)
• Quintin Morris – Shoulder (Questionable)
• Taron Johnson – Quadriceps (Questionable)
• Damar Hamlin – Hamstring (Questionable)
• Baylon Spector – Calf (Questionable)
• Travis Clayton – Undisclosed (Out)
• Darrynton Evans – Hamstring (Out)
• Terrell Burgess – Hamstring (Out)
• Tommy Doyle – Undisclosed (Out)
• Shane Buechele – Neck (Out)
• Matt Milano – Bicep (Out)

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Arizona’s offense was below average last season, finishing 24th in the league with 19.4 points per game. They were also 24th in the league in their passing game, averaging just 184.9 yards per game. The Cardinals were 3rd in the league in rushing yards per game, averaging 139.1 yards per game, and 2nd in rushing yards per attempt. However, their 32.6% red zone conversion rate was one of the worst in the league.

On the road, the Cardinals struggled, averaging only 15.8 points per game, which was 26th in the NFL. Overall, they averaged 324.1 yards per game and 5.1 yards per play.

Playing in just eight games last season, Kyler Murray threw for 1,799 yards on 176 completions and 268 attempts. He finished the season with a touchdown to interception ratio of 10/5. Murray enters this season, his 6th in the league, looking to stay healthy and put together a full season for the Arizona Cardinals.

For the season, Murray completed 65.7% of his passes and averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and 10.2 yards per completion. This week, he and the Cardinals face the Buffalo Bills in their season opener.

Bills Offense Breakdown

Arizona’s offense struggled last season, finishing 24th in the league with 19.4 points per game. They were also 24th in passing, averaging just 184.9 yards per game. The Cardinals were more successful in the running game, ranking 3rd in rushing yards per game with 139.1 and 2nd in rushing yards per attempt, with 5.0.

Overall, the Cardinals averaged 324.1 yards per game, ranking 19th in the league. They had the 12th most rushing attempts per game and 23rd most passing attempts per game. Despite their success running the ball, they struggled in the passing game, finishing 26th in passing yards per game.

Josh Allen was 5th in passing completions per game last season, throwing for a total of 4,306 yards, the 4th highest in the league. He played in 17 games and was 5th in passing attempts per game. Allen averaged 253 passing yards per game and threw 29 touchdowns, ranking 5th at his position.

Allen led all quarterbacks with 15 rushing touchdowns and was 4th in rushing yards with 524. He had 18 interceptions and finished the season with a passer rating of 92.2.

Cardinals Team Defense

Arizona’s defense struggled to get to the quarterback last season, finishing 19th in sacks and 25th in quarterback hits. This contributed to their overall defensive struggles, as they gave up 26.8 points per game, ranking 31st in the league, and allowed 355.7 yards per game, placing them 25th. At home, the Cardinals gave up 29.8 points per game, the 28th worst figure in the NFL.

Their inability to defend the pass was evident in the high number of passing attempts against them, which ranked 3rd in the league. Opposing quarterbacks completed 68.6% of their passes (29th) and had a collective passer rating of 101 (31st). Additionally, on third downs, opposing offenses converted 47.3% of the time (27th).

Bills Team Defense

Arizona’s defense struggled to pressure the quarterback last season, finishing 19th in sacks and 25th in quarterback hits. This contributed to their overall defensive struggles, as they were the 32nd ranked defense in the league. The Cardinals gave up 26.8 points per game, which was 31st, and they were particularly bad at home, allowing 29.8 points per game.

The Cardinals’ inability to defend the run was a big issue, as they gave up 4.7 yards per rushing attempt, ranking 12th. Opposing offenses often found success through the air, as Arizona allowed a collective passer rating of 101, placing them 31st in the league.

Cardinals vs Bills Trends

• Arizona has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 18 points per game while allowing 23. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• Through their last five home contests, the Bills offense has averaged 23 points per game while allowing an average of 22. Buffalo posted an overall record of 3-2 while going 2-3 ATS.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Arizona has an ATS mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Bills have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 2-1.

Cardinals vs Bills Prediction

Our projections have the Cardinals coming out on top by a score of 26-15 in their week one matchup against the Bills. With our projected point spread, the best bet to take is the Cardinals to cover as road underdogs.

For the over/under line, we have a projected combined score of 41 points, which is well below the O/U line of 48 points. So, our recommendation is to take the under in this Cardinals vs. Bills matchup.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.