Neither the 49ers nor the Cardinals are the picture of health going into their Week 9 matchup, but San Francisco might wind up having the edge on the injury front and in the game.
While question marks hang over 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Elijah Mitchell, the Cardinals have quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins both listed as ‘questionable’ after missing practice all week. The result of the potential absences on both sides is the 49ers getting favored at home against the 7-1 Cardinals.
Tipico Sportsbook has San Francisco favored by 2.5 points.
This signals the book either expects Murray not to play, or anticipates him being a shell of himself because of an ankle injury he suffered last week against the Packers. Not to mention the state of Hopkins’ hamstring which could either keep him out or limit his effectiveness.
It’s worth noting too how well the 49ers played a healthier version of the Cardinals in Arizona. Defensive lineman JJ Watt for had a monster game for the Cardinals and he’s already been ruled out with a shoulder issue. Even a fully healthy Cardinals squad probably wouldn’t have been heavily favored in Santa Clara, and the injury questions combined with the performance the 49ers had against the Bears were enough to swing the line in favor of the home team Sunday.
This is a huge game for the 3-4 49ers. Getting back to .500 with a win over a division opponent would buoy their playoff hopes and give them a little bit of wiggle room in Week 10 when they host the Rams.
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