Cardinals vs. 49ers: Betting odds, weather, injuries, matchups to watch

The San Francisco 49ers host their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, in Week 11. Niner Noise breaks down the betting lines, weather and some key injuries for the game.

The San Francisco 49ers no longer have to worry about protecting their undefeated season after falling in heartbreaking overtime fashion to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

Now at 8-1, the Niners instead shift their focus to their Week 11 opponent, the 3-6-1 Arizona Cardinals, who’ll look for some revenge after losing to San Francisco in prime time back in Week 9.

San Francisco still boasts the No. 2 overall scoring defense in the league. Yet the Cardinals managed to put a bit of a scare into this defense two weeks ago, staging a third- and fourth-quarter comeback, only to see the 49ers pull off the 28-25 win on Thursday Night Football.

Arizona, riding a three-game losing streak, will look to hand the Niners their first losing streak of 2019.

Niner Noise breaks down the backdrop for this contest, including odds, key injuries and much more.

Cardinals vs. 49ers: Betting Odds and Lines

San Francisco was a double-digit road favorite in Week 9, yet the Cardinals still covered the spread in losing by only three points.

Now at home for this contest, the 49ers are 10.5-point favorites this weekend, currently, according to the Action Network. With the over/under set at 45 points, it will be interesting to see just how much both teams’ offenses affect the outcome of the game.

The Cardinals are allowing an average of 31.2 points per game, which ranks 27th in the league. Yet they did a good job curtailing San Francisco’s rushing attack in Week 9, albeit by allowing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to toss for four touchdowns.

Yet passing numbers may not come so easy for Garoppolo and Co. in Week 11.

Cardinals vs. 49ers: The Weather

Northern California has stayed dry into the middle of November this year, and the predicted forecast for Sunday’s bout at Levi’s Stadium looks very favorable.

The kickoff forecast is projected at 72 degrees with a humidity of 36 percent. Winds can be a factor at Levi’s Stadium, however, although the prediction calls for winds to be at three miles per hour from the north-northwest.

If you’re going to be close to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and want to check out the game, head over to StubHub and see what might be available.

49ers Key Injuries

Injury attrition hurt San Francisco some more in Week 10, and it looks as if the Niners will be without some key players this Sunday versus the Cardinals.

Left tackle Joe Staley, recently returned from a broken fibula, suffered a broken finger against the Seahawks and required surgery. He’ll be out at least a couple of weeks, while nose tackle D.J. Jones is expected to be out with a groin injury. Running back Matt Breida (ankle) also didn’t practice this week, and the same goes for kicker Robbie Gould (quad), whose absence was felt in overtime against Seattle.

Yet the two biggest potential absences are tight end George Kittle (knee/ankle) and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (ribs). Kittle remains doubtful for the contest, while Sanders remains day to day.

On a positive note, however, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (foot) was limited in practice this week and could possibly return on Sunday.

Cardinals Key Injuries

Veteran EDGE Terrell Suggs (hamstring/back) didn’t practice for Arizona this week, putting his game-time status in doubt.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson, who was primarily responsible for covering Sanders in Week 9, was limited with a calf injury.

Matchups to Watch

The Cardinals did an excellent job taking away San Francisco’s rushing attack, limiting it to just 3.3 yards per carry. With Breida likely out, the focus will again be on stopping fellow running back Tevin Coleman.

In Week 9, Garoppolo managed to work through this by hitting his top two receiving targets, Kittle and Sanders. Yet neither player was fully available the following week versus the Seahawks, which hindered Garoppolo’s passing efforts significantly.

Another problem San Francisco faced last week was protecting Garoppolo, who took five sacks against the Seattle pass rush. Cardinals EDGE Chandler Jones is a player to watch here, as even he managed to bring down Garoppolo when these two teams met last.

But perhaps the biggest focal point for the Niners will be how their defense handles two of Arizona’s biggest offensive stars, quarterback Kyler Murray and running back Kenyan Drake, who combined for 144 yards on the ground back in Week 9. Murray also hit Drake for 52 receiving yards, which was a sizable chunk of the rookie signal-caller’s 241 pass yards through the air.

Sacking Murray proved to be difficult, too, as the 49ers managed just three sacks of their own. Trying to improve upon that number is paramount for San Francisco’s defense.

The Niners and Cardinals square off on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium.