NFL Win Totals: It Might Get Ugly for the Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals were a dismal 4-13 in 2022, winning just one divisional game and finishing with the NFL's fourth-worst point differential (-109).

Arizona was absent from the postseason just a year removed from securing a Wild Card berth in 2021. After Kyler Murray tore his ACL in Week 14 against the New England Patriots, the Cardinals lost their last five games, and they figure to be without Murray for a good chunk of 2023.

As such, the Cardinals' win total for 2023 is set at 4.5, per the NFL win totals at FanDuel Sportsbook -- that is the lowest number on the board for any team heading into the upcoming season.

A coaching change was recently made in the "Valley of the Sun." Kliff Kingsbury reached the playoffs only once in four years at the helm in Arizona. Jonathan Gannon -- who left his post as defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles -- will be the Cardinals' head coach in 2023.

Will Arizona be able to win at least five games in 2023?

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Arizona Cardinals 2023 Outlook

Projected Win Total: 4.5

Over: -102
Under: -120

Odds to Make the Playoffs: +980
Odds to Win the NFC West: +2400
Odds to Win the NFC: +8500
Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +18000

Key Offseason Coaching Changes:

• Head coach -- Jonathan Gannon in for Kliff Kingsbury. Arizona's coordinators in 2023 will be Drew Petzing (offense) and Nick Rallis (defense).

Why Arizona Could Win Over 4.5 Games:

• Five Wins Is a Low Bar
• A Clean Slate
• Kyler Returns By Midseason

Disregard what you think of Arizona's roster: you need only five wins from the Cards to cash a near even-money wager if you are taking the over (-102 at FanDuel Sportsbook).

As stated, Arizona's win total of 4.5 is the lowest win total number for any team -- the next closest is a slew of squads situated at 6.5 wins. Oddsmakers really aren't expecting much from the Cards, and it's a very low bar to clear. Arizona can be really bad and still cash the over.

With Kingsbury now out of The Grand Canyon State, the Cards will attempt to move on from a dysfunctional environment. Despite Kingsbury's confidence in Murray coming out of the 2019 NFL Draft, the quarterback and coach seemed regularly out of sync in their final years together. Everyone remembers Murray's contract clause fiasco, and he and Kingsbury were seen feuding during games on numerous occasions -- that cannot be positive for team morale.

It is evident that the organization and newly appointed head coach Gannon have no intentions of rushing Murray back from an ACL injury sustained last December. Understanding Murray's playstyle, it is in their best interest to let the shifty signal caller exercise extra caution, and we may not see Murray until midseason at the earliest.

A successful recovery could have Murray starting, say, the final nine contests for the Cardinals. With a healthy K1 in the lineup, games against the Atlanta Falcons (Week 10), Houston Texans (Week 11), Los Angeles Rams (Week 12) and Chicago Bears (Week 16) over that late stretch look more than winnable. Worth mentioning: Murray is a long shot (+7000) to win the 2023-24 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Veteran Colt McCoy will likely take the snaps for Arizona in the interim. He went 1-2 over three games started with the team in 2022.

Why Arizona Could Win Under 4.5 Games:

• No Position Group of Strength
• Tough Schedule
• Murray's Return Is Delayed

Even in their current phase, the Cardinals have a few talented players. Marquise Brown and Greg Dortch are speedy receivers, Budda Baker is an All-Pro caliber strong safety, and Zach Ertz is a crafty veteran at tight end. Still, a position group of strength seems absent in the desert, and overall, the roster is fairly bleak.

You can make an argument for the receiving corps, but without DeAndre Hopkins, the unit lacks a perennial number-one wideout. Also, J.J. Watt retired after last season, which weakened the Cards' defensive front, a group that had been solid in recent years. Arizona finished 2022 with the 12th-best pressure rate (22.5%).

As it stands now, this roster is pretty bleak.

The NFC West is not as universally strong as it was two years ago, but the Cardinals will still have to deal with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks for two games apiece. I'm unsure as to what we will get out of the Rams.

From there, Arizona will also face the NFC East and AFC North in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, those are two of the top-three divisions in football. Throughout their entire 2023-24 NFL regular season schedule, the Cards are set to play a total of nine games against teams that made the playoffs last year.

In the over portion of this article, the groundwork was laid for Murray's return. Still, all of that is subjective right now.

A few months back (in March), a video was posted to Murray's Instagram that depicted the 2018 Heisman Trophy recipient performing weighted squats. It is certainly possible that Murray is able to return for half of Arizona's contests in 2023, but that's on the optimistic side.

As noted, McCoy should fill the void until his return, but McCoy won just one game in three starts for the Cardinals last season, finishing with one passing score and three picks while throwing for just 195.0 yards per game.

Realistically, how many wins can McCoy collect -- before Murray's return -- with this version of the team?

All signs point to this being a long year in the desert. Arizona is tied for the longest odds (+18000) to win it all, per the Super Bowl odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.