Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Sunday September 20 2026

Sunday's Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals picks have changed dramatically because Seattle will be without starting quarterback Sam Darnold. The Seahawks are still favored by 3.5, but the line is well below the early market after Darnold was ruled out with a glute injury. The total is 41 at State Farm Stadium.

Seattle beat New England 13-10 after Drew Lock replaced Darnold in Week 1. Arizona delivered one of the opening weekend's biggest surprises, beating the Chargers 26-14 behind Jacoby Brissett. The Cardinals now return home with the healthier starting quarterback and more than a field goal in hand.

Best Available Odds for Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals

• Moneyline: Seattle -200, Arizona +170
• Spread: Seattle -3.5 (-110), Arizona +3.5 (-110)
• Total: Over 41 (-110), Under 41 (-110)

Game Info

• Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026
• Kickoff: 4:25 PM ET
• Venue: State Farm Stadium
• Location: Glendale, Arizona
• Current spread: Seattle Seahawks -3.5
• Current total: 41
• Conditions: Retractable-roof stadium; weather should have minimal impact

Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals Preview

Lock played efficiently in relief, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Seattle does not need him to replicate Darnold's full offense, but it does need him to avoid giveaways and keep the offense in manageable down-and-distance situations. Jalen Milroe will serve as the backup.

Brissett was excellent in Arizona's opener, throwing for 277 yards and a touchdown while taking only one sack. Trey McBride caught nine passes for 95 yards and a score, and the Cardinals used a balanced running game to keep the Chargers from simply attacking Brissett on every snap.

Arizona's offensive line is now a concern. Guards Isaac Seumalo and Isaiah Adams appeared on the injury report, with Seumalo missing practice and Adams limited. Seattle's defense is more dangerous than the Chargers front Arizona handled in Week 1, so interior protection is the matchup that can keep the Seahawks favored even with Lock starting.

Seattle also has injury questions in the secondary and receiving corps. Cooper Kupp was limited by a back issue, while safeties Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada were not fully healthy to open the week. Those absences matter against McBride and an Arizona offense that was willing to attack the middle of the field.

The line movement is the story. Seattle was a much larger favorite before Darnold's injury became clear and has been repriced into the -3.5 range. The total has also fallen into the low 40s. Even after that adjustment, Arizona still gets the hook above the key field goal at home.

Brissett's experience is especially valuable against Seattle because the Seahawks can present pressure without always bringing extra rushers. He has to identify which defenders are actually coming and find McBride or the backs in the vacated area. Arizona can neutralize some of Seattle's athletic advantage simply by getting the ball out on time.

Matchup Breakdown

Seattle's defense can keep Lock out of a high-risk game if it wins the line of scrimmage. The Seahawks want to force Arizona into long third downs and make Brissett hold the ball against a pass rush that can create pressure from multiple alignments.

Arizona's defense should respond by making Lock prove he can win outside the structure of the offense. The Cardinals can crowd the run game and challenge Seattle to string together passing conversions rather than allowing easy first-down carries.

State Farm Stadium removes weather from the equation, so the low total is entirely about quarterback and defensive expectations. Seattle's offense becomes less explosive with Lock, while Arizona's best path is another controlled game built around Brissett's decision-making and McBride's ability to move the chains.

Divisional familiarity also matters. These teams see each other regularly, and Arizona has fewer schematic surprises to solve than it did against the Chargers. That makes the home underdog especially appealing when the opposing starter has changed.

Arizona's special teams also contributed to the Week 1 upset with a blocked punt and four field goals. That matters in a game lined near three because the Cardinals do not need to produce four offensive touchdowns to be competitive. A hidden-yardage advantage or one short field can be enough to swing a low-total divisional game.

Lock faces the opposite problem. Arizona is likely to make him prove he can consistently beat tight windows rather than giving him easy deep shots. Seattle's run game can protect him, but the Cardinals can crowd early downs more aggressively because Darnold is not available to punish them with the same full-field passing menu.

Seattle's defense is good enough to keep this from becoming an easy Arizona win, which is why the Cardinals are the spread pick rather than a moneyline recommendation. The Seahawks can still create sacks, win field position and lean on their run game. Arizona's advantage is that it does not need to be clearly better for four quarters. Staying within a field goal is enough.

Arizona's ability to protect Brissett in Week 1 is another reason the matchup cannot be reduced to Seattle's defensive reputation. The Cardinals allowed only one sack against a talented Chargers front. Seattle is a tougher test, especially if Arizona's guards remain limited, but Brissett has already shown he can make quick decisions and avoid the negative plays that usually bury a home underdog.

Game Thesis: Seattle still has the better defense and enough supporting talent to win, but Darnold's absence removes the clearest quarterback edge. Brissett is playing efficiently, Arizona is at home and the Cardinals get more than a field goal. A lower-possession game favors the underdog and keeps the total below 41.

Seahawks vs Cardinals Best Bet - Spread: Arizona +3.5 (-110)

Arizona +3.5 is the best bet because the Cardinals have the healthier and more settled quarterback situation. Lock was solid in relief, but asking Seattle to win by four on the road is materially different from asking the defense to carry a close game. The hook above three is valuable protection.

The risk is Arizona's interior offensive line. If Seattle overwhelms the guards, Brissett can be forced into the type of hurried decisions that did not appear in Week 1. The wager is strongest at +3.5; a move to +3 would remove the most important part of the price.

Seahawks vs Cardinals Total Pick: Under 41 (-110)

Under 41 is the secondary position because Seattle's quarterback change lowers the ceiling of the passing game and both defenses can control stretches of the matchup. Arizona also has no reason to increase pace if it remains within one score.

A 21-17 Cardinals win fits the expectation of a game decided by quarterback stability, field position and red-zone execution.

Prediction: Arizona Cardinals 21, Seattle Seahawks 17