Our NFL experts give their picks for Week 4's Thursday night primetime showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals!
It's a battle of 2-1 NFC West opponents in this week's primetime showdown as the Cardinals are rolling out their new Rivalries uniforms.
Game breakdown
Despite being in Arizona, the Seahawks are still 1.5-point favourites with the over-under set at 43.5. The Cardinals are coming off a tough 16-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, while Seattle is entering the matchup hot off a 44-13 beatdown of the New Orleans Saints.
Arizona has lost seven straight games to Seattle dating all the way back to 2022. They lost both games last year to a combined score of 46-24. However, neither are statistically jaw-dropping.
The Cardinals rank 25th in total offence (28th in passing, 16th in rushing) and 19th in scoring. They just lost starting running back James Connor for the season and they rank dead last in throws targeting their receivers.
On the defensive side, they don't fare much better. Arizona ranks 23rd in total defence but have given up the fifth-fewest points (50).
As for Seattle, their offence ranks 18th (12th in passing, 22nd in rushing) but fifth in scoring. Their defence ranks 14th overall and second in points given up (47). Only the Packers' defence has given up fewer points (47).
However, one significant point to know is that the Cardinals have only committed one turnover this season (tied second-fewest) while the Seahawks have turned the ball over six times - tied for the most in the NFL.
Time for the injury reports.
Arizona will be without standout rookie cornerback Will Johnson and wide receiver Zay Jones. As for Seattle, they'll be without offensive lineman Josh Jones and safety Nick Emmanwori, who is listed as doubtful despite being a full participant in practice on Wednesday.
Now, let's get into the game picks from our experts!
Eric - Cardinals 26-24 Seahawks
There's nothing in this matchup that says the Cardinals should win. They have a worse offence and defence than the Seahawks do and they haven't won a game in the matchup since 2021.
But we also just saw the Cleveland Browns take down the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs are both 1-2, and Daniel Jones is an MVP candidate. Nothing makes sense this year.
I'm going with the Cardinals in the upset here while rocking their new Rivalries uniforms.
Henri - Seahawks 34-10 Cardinals
The Seahawks are playing much better this season than any of the predictions foretold.
I don't see how the Cardinals, who failed to win against a weakened 49ers team, will overcome a Seahawks squad that has outperformed them on every level of the field so far this season.
The Seahawks beat the Cardinals 38-18 last time they played in Arizona and there's no reason why they can't do the same again this year.
Paul - Seahawks 20-13 Cardinals
The Seahawks are getting Devon Witherspoon back this week, but rookie safety standout Nick Emmanwori will be out again. Derion Kendrick has done an admirable job in the secondary, but is ultimately not a player who will win you games.
The Seahawks come off the back of a 44-13 blowout win over the Saints, which looks like a bit of a statistical anomaly. Nevertheless, Zach Charbonnet is good to go for the game and expected to share snaps with Kenneth Walker again, giving Seattle its rushing juice back.
For Arizona, it's already a crucial game this early on in the season. Going 0-2 in divisional games could prove to be very, very costly later on, especially with one of those losses coming against Mac Jones' 49ers.
I haven't been particularly impressed with the Cardinals' offense, which has yet to eclipse 300 total yards in a single game this season.
Give me Jake Bobo's Seahawks!
Miguel - Seahawks 22-16 Cardinals
This is a very difficult divisional match-up to predict, but I’m going for a narrow victory for Seattle as they currently ride the high of back-to-back wins.
In any case, a good performance from Kyler Murray, who is more talented than Sam Darnold, could make things very difficult for the Seahawks and give the Cardinals an important victory.
But in the end, Seattle pulls away from an Arizona offence that has been underwhelming this season. Seattle hasn't allowed a single sack or a single rushing touchdown this year and that'll prove to be a problem for the Cardinals in the end.