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Most NFL fans would have bet on the Cleveland Browns having a winning record five games into the season, but who would have predicted that Arizona Cardinals would be the only remaining unbeaten team at the same stage? Well, that’s the scenario going into Week Six with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals leading the rest ahead of their showdown with the Browns.
It’s too early to start talking about a perfect season. After all, remember what happened to the 11-0 Steelers last year. But we can say that fans and bettors checking out legal bookmakers in Arizona will be closely studying whether the Browns have what it takes to stop Kyler Murray and co. Unibet, which offers $500 Risk-Free Bet for new players from Arizona, gives great odds on Cardinals of 2.60
Murray is looking sensational right now. Going into this round of games, he is third in the NFL in passing yards per play, fifth in passer rating and first in completion percentage. So far Murray and the Cardinals have beaten Tennessee, Jacksonville, LA Rams and the 49ers, with an average victory margin of 15 points across those fixtures and their only tight game was a 34-33 win against the Vikings.
Still, despite the fact that the Browns only have a 3-2 record, they will start as favorites. Their two defeats were by an aggregate total of 10 points. The second came against the Chargers last week, yet in that game, the Browns scored 42 points, Baker Mayfield threw for 303 yards, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ran for 222 yards and they didn’t turn over the ball once. Yet they lost the game.
Arizona fans will also be concerned that their team’s last game, against the 49ers, produced their worst offensive performance of the season so far, at just 304 yards. Fortunately, their defence stepped up to help them get the job done, holding San Francisco to just 10 points.
Offensively, the Cardinals are the better-balanced team. They are ranked as the sixth best passing offense and the eighth best rushing offense in the league, and that gives Murray plenty to work with. Against the 49ers, five players had a rush and seven caught at least one pass, and that will test a Browns defense that has looked strong against ordinary teams but has given up big numbers against the better offenses in the NFL, such as the Chargers and the Chiefs.
Still, there is plenty for Arizona to be concerned about too, and not just the fact that they will be the visitors. The Browns have a run-dominated offense, but knowing that is one thing: stopping it is quite another. The Cardinals have already surrendered 700 yards rushing and are ranked as one of the poorest teams in the NFL at stopping the rush. The longer they can stay on the offense the better, as if they have to spend a lot of the time on defense, they could struggle.
The odds suggest this is going to be a close one and it is shaping up to be a fascinating clash between two teams with serious play-off ambitions as the NFL season gathers momentum.
Story by Pandora Hughes
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