Seahawks-Cardinals Thursday Night Football: Seattle Gains Momentum as Market Shifts Toward -1.5
Sam Darnold’s recent surge fuels Seattle’s surge; Arizona faces Conner-out scenario and tougher ceiling ahead of Week 4 showdown.
Seattle and Arizona meet on Thursday Night Football to open Week 4, with oddsmakers shifting toward the Seahawks after Seattle's offense produced a burst of points in back-to-back wins. Arizona opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but the line moved toward Seattle to roughly a pick’em, with Seahawks at -1.5 at many sportsbooks. The shift reflects Seattle’s improved efficiency and questions about how good Arizona is without James Conner.
Sam Darnold has delivered the most notable recent spark for Seattle, averaging 256.5 passing yards in wins over the Saints and Steelers. While the strength of those opponents is a factor, Seattle has quickly become one of the NFL's most efficient teams, ranking No. 2 in EPA per play. The Seahawks also show balance on offense and defense, ranking in the top 10 in both yards gained per play (5.6) and yards allowed per play (4.7).
Arizona faces a tougher path without Conner, and Murray will need to shoulder more of the load. Murray ranks No. 16 in rushing among quarterbacks, and Arizona has moved the chains at a premium this season. The matchup against Seattle's improving defense adds another layer of complexity, especially given Arizona's past tendency to be outgained in a win over New Orleans before overcoming that deficit.
Market observers note the shift toward Seattle with both sharp and public money aligning on the Seahawks. The Week 4 line has settled at Seahawks -1.5, with a -105 price at FanDuel.
Beyond the Thursday game, the NFC West remains one of the league's most crowded divisions, and depth across the conference continues to provide surprises as the season unfolds.
As teams prepare for kickoff, analysts will weigh Darnold's efficiency against Arizona's defense and Murray's ability to generate offense without Conner as a primary option.
