The Cardinals are Big Chalk on Monday Night Football

If the Cardinals don’t find a way to win the NFC West this year, they never will. Since the move from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988, the franchise has suffered a losing record in 17 of 20 seasons, but not last year when the Cardinals closed with back-to-back wins to finish 8-8. Sun Devil Stadium didn’t offer much in terms of home-field advantage during the Cardinals’ first 18 years in the desert, but their new state-of-the-art venue in Glendale seems to have changed that parameter for the better with a 9-2 and 8-3 spread record since its opening.

Arizona has done some serious home cooking with five straight wins (4-1 ATS), beating Miami, Buffalo and Dallas so far this season by a combined 102-51.

Bookmaker.com has established the division leading Redbirds as 10-point home favorites (down from opening 11), with a total of 47.5. The Cards are flushed with new-found success and have to take the next step in overcoming the past with 0-7 ATS record as a home favorite of 7.5 to 14 points.

With San Francisco in town on Monday night, the Cardinals will take the University of Phoenix Stadium field for the first time in a month. The last time they were home they made NFL history, beating the Cowboys 30-24 in overtime on a recovered blocked punt in the end zone. Arizona had a bye the following week, lost 27-23 in Carolina in Week 8 and won 34-13 in St. Louis last Sunday.

A postseason berth is the goal for the Cardinals, who had to face only two returning playoff teams over their first nine games. They lead the NFC West by three games over each of their three rivals, none of which seems capable of a turnaround.

The 49ers are 2-6 SU and ATS, and making headlines for all the wrong reasons. San Francisco, which lost 23-13 at home to Arizona in Week 1 thanks to five turnovers, became a league spectacle two weeks ago when interim head coach Mike Singletary sent Vernon Davis to the locker room after the third quarter of a 34-13 loss to Seattle, blasted the third-year tight end in the post-game press conference and apologized to fans. The next day, Singletary benched quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill. The Niners will come into this AFC West encounter only 5-14 ATS against conference opponents over the last two seasons.

Hill led the 49ers to a pair of victories late last season and had the benefit of a bye week to help get ready for Arizona, which has allowed 218.2 yards passing per game (18th overall) and 16 touchdowns—most in the NFL. Hill looked relatively sharp in relief of O’Sullivan against the Seahawks and completed 15 of 23 attempts for 173 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. This will be his first career start on the road for a squad that is 6-15 ATS as an underdog over the last two years.

San Francisco covers if they do what they do best, run the ball. Frank Gore is still their best weapon; make him the top priority is establish a pace to the game, which should help Hill in the short passing game. Hill has shown the ability in his limited action to read and get rid of the ball, something O’Sullivan was getting worse at each week taking so many sacks. Defensively, San Fran needs an identity; pick one, 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. Lastly, get Vernon Davis the ball, otherwise he becomes a distraction by not touching the ball as the team and media views it as a rift. The 49ers must control the clock and score. Otherwise they fall to 0-8 ATS vs. good offensive teams scoring 24 or more points a game since 2006.

Arizona covers if they are focused. Being so far ahead in the division despite having a lack of organizational success for decades, this is the kind of game the Cardinals can prove before a national audience they should be taken seriously. The easiest way to beat a beleaguered opponent is to jump on them early, this should figure into Arizona’s game plan. This should also be a contest the Cards can get back to fundamentals by tackling better, something that been a problem all season. Kurt Warner and company averages 387 yards of offense, if they can do just a little better, they’ll take care of the Niners who are 3-16 ATS in road games when they allow 400 or more total yards.

This week’s Monday Night system is to play against any underdog who has allowed 24 or more points in two straight games. This system is 25-11-1 ATS, 69.4 percent.