Seahawks vs. Cardinals Thursday Night Football Week 4 Betting Predictions

The Seattle Seahawks (2-1) will travel for a divisional road matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (2-1) on Thursday. Both teams have wins over the New Orleans Saints and losses against the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle also picked up a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Arizona beat the Carolina Panthers.

The Seahawks have been the better team virtually everywhere early this season. They rank fifth in points per play (0.524) compared to 17th Arizona (0.358). Seattle also leads the NFL in points allowed per play (0.234), while the Cardinals rank third (0.245) in the same category.

This is an interesting situation where neither team has been blitzing a ton this season. The key difference is that Seattle’s been able to get pressure (29.3%) on their opponents without blitzing. Arizona hasn’t found the same level of success (18.7%).

The Cardinals are going to benefit quite a bit from playing at home. The Seahawks traveled well last season, but Arizona was outstanding at home in 2024. Granted, they did lose 30-18 in Arizona against the Seahawks.

We have one very clear key here to this game, though. Will Johnson missed Week 3 against San Francisco, and he still hasn’t practiced this week. He might not be able to suit up on the short week, and he could be limited with a groin injury if he can play.

Both of these teams have been elite against the run early in 2025. I don’t expect either team to find a ton of success on the ground, although I prefer Seattle’s rushing attack at the moment. Regardless, this game is going to rely drastically more on the passing offenses to find points.

If Johnson can’t play, Arizona won’t have anyone in the realm of being able to guard Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He’s been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season, and he’s a major focal point of the Seattle offense. Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton have flashed as well, but this offense will go as JSN goes.

On the other side, I’m not nearly as concerned about the Cardinals’ receiving group without Zay Jones. They feature high-upside options, but they’ve lacked overall consistency up until this point.

If Arizona can’t get pressure on Sam Darnold, he shouldn’t have many issues finding more success through the air. That’s where I give Seattle the massive edge in this game.

I do believe that they’re the better team in the majority of areas, so this isn’t exclusively a play based on the status of Johnson. The only major factor working in Arizona’s favor is where the game will be played, but that isn’t enough for me to pass on the Seahawks at these odds.

Where to Bet: Seattle Seahawks moneyline | -116 at FanDuel Sportsbook

2025 NFL Season Betting Record: 4-7