NFL Betting News: Arizona's QB Kyler Murray Update

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The Arizona Cardinals are projected to be the worst team in the NFL this season with an over-under win total of only 4.5 after finishing 4-13 in 2022 and on a season-ending seven-game losing streak. The news just got worse for first-year Jonathan Gannon as starting quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list and miss at least the first four games.

NFL Betting News: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray To Miss At Least 4 Games, Josh Dobbs Likely Starter | NFL Lines by MyBookie

NFL Game Odds: Arizona +240 | Washington -310 | O/U 38.5 -110
When: Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 1:00 pm ET
Where: FedExField, Landover, MD
TV / Streaming: FOX

That means Joshua Dobbs, acquired in trade from Cleveland only last week when he was expected to be the backup there behind Deshaun Watson, is likely to be the Week 1 starter at the Washington Commanders after the Cards surprisingly cut their projected backup, veteran Colt McCoy, on Monday. The Commanders rose to 7-point favorites.

It’s clearly a transitional year for Arizona, with a new general manager (Monti Ossenfort) and new head coach (Gannon) setting the tone for what was one of the NFC’s worst teams last season. The deadline for players to be activated off the PUP list is Tuesday. Murray will miss at least games at the Commanders (Sept. 10), at home against the New York Giants (Sept. 17) and Dallas Cowboys (Sept. 24), then on the road at the San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 1).

The Cardinals’ season opener is just under nine months since his ACL tear, and Murray’s earliest possible return date is Oct. 8, which would be just under 10 months post-injury. Bengals QB Joe Burrow was ready to play less than 10 months after he tore his ACL as a rookie, so it’s not inconceivable for Murray to return shortly after he becomes eligible. Much like his time on the offseason PUP list, Murray cannot practice with the team but can take part in team activities like meetings while on the list.

Last week, the Cards got Dobbs from the Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The Cardinals also regained a seventh-rounder in the trade. Before heading to the desert, Dobbs served under Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork during their time together with Cleveland. Arizona’s offense will likely mirror a lot of the offensive philosophies Cleveland incorporates, including a heavy running attack.

Despite not having plans to publicly name a starting quarterback, it’s known the race will come down to rookie Clayton Tune and Dobbs.

“I’m not going to name a starter because I think it’s a competitive advantage for us going to Washington,” Gannon said Monday. “We’ll know who the starter is. We have a plan in place, but I want to see them play football still. We have some work this week and the following week we have some work. So I feel good with that.”

McCoy has dealt with an elbow injury all offseason and the Cardinals repeatedly stopped short of saying he was their choice to start if Murray was not ready to go for Week 1. The Cardinals will still owe McCoy $2.25 million in guaranteed salary. He had seemingly been the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to earning the starting nod, seeing the majority of first-team reps throughout training camp. His limited preseason action — 12 total attempts in two games played — only added to the narrative.

In his two years with Arizona, McCoy had a 3-3 mark as a starter to go along with 1,520 passing yards and four touchdowns on a 71% completion rate.

“We look at the full body of work, evaluate our guys, production goes into that, and felt like it was the best decision for the team,” Gannon said, calling McCoy “awesome” and a “pro’s pro.”

Dobbs has bounced around multiple teams since being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. He finally made the first two starts of his NFL career last season with the Tennessee Titans. Dobbs threw for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and Tennessee was 0-2 in his starts. Tune was a fifth-round pick out of the University of Houston. In his final collegiate season, he threw for 4,074 yards, 40 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But he was still just a fifth-round pick and put up an uninspiring 73.6 passer rating in the preseason.

The Cardinals are the favorite to have the worst record in the NFL at +220. If they get it, do they take USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall in the 2024 draft and trade Murray?

Washington will give second-year QB Sam Howell his second career start under center in Week 1, and Howell has looked very good this preseason, but might be without No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin due to a toe injury suffered in the preseason. McLaurin has suited up for all 17 games in each of the past two seasons despite dealing with a handful of minor injuries. And, despite Washington’s revolving door at quarterback, McLaurin has crossed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last three campaigns.