University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, AZ
Kickoff: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Arizona -2, Total: 43.5

It’s a must-win for Arizona on Sunday night if they want to get back in the NFC West race.

After struggling against inferior competition in early-season games with a close win against the Dolphins and a loss to the Rams, the Seahawks have bounced back with three straight wins and now sit firmly atop the NFC West with a 4-1 record (2-3 ATS). Last week, they won a nail-biter at home over the NFL’s best offense with a 26-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons (ATL +6.5). It was a rollercoaster affair, as the Seahawks went up 17-3 at halftime but then gave up 21 points in the third quarter to go down 24-17. K Steven Hauschka’s extra point attempt was blocked after the would-be game-tying touchdown with just under five minutes remaining, but an interception from S Earl Thomas on the ensuing Falcons drive gave the Seahawks the chance to kick a game-winning field goal. Seattle now travels to Arizona to face a Cardinals team on Sunday night that has also seen its best play come in recent weeks. The Cards are fresh off a dominating 28-3 win over the lowly Jets (ARZ -7), their second straight double-digit victory after they began the season 1-3. They now sit at 3-3 (3-3 ATS) as they prepare to take on their division rivals. The Cardinals methodically dismantled the Jets, racking up 28 first downs and 396 yards of offense, and scoring one of their touchdowns in each of the game’s four quarters. Over the last five seasons, teams off of no-covers in which they were favorites are 31-10 Under against division opponents when the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. Bruce Arians is 13-4 as Cardinals coach when the line is between +3 and -3.

Seattle QB Russell Wilson (65.9 CMP%, 1,334 yards, 5 TDs, INT) has struggled with injuries all season, as he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Dolphins and a sprained MCL in Week 3 against the 49ers. His worst two games were the first two of the season, but he looked refreshed after a bye week when he completed 23-of-32 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns against the Jets in Week 5. He was only slightly less efficient against the Falcons, as he finished with 25-of-37 passing for 270 yards. He’s seventh in the league with 7.85 yards per attempt and 12th with a quarterback rating of 97.0. While his passing numbers appear to have been unaffected by the injury, his dangerous running ability has been taken away from him. He’s rushing for only 1.7 yards per carry, way down from his career average of 5.7. He hasn’t appeared to aggravate either of his leg injuries since the bye week, so he should be at his healthiest all season this week. Joining him in the backfield is RB Christine Michael (81 carries, 354 yards, 4 TDs, REC TD). Michael officially took over the starting job from RB Thomas Rawls (19 carries, 25 yards) after Rawls sustained an injury, but Michaels was outperforming him even prior to that. Exactly how they’ll split carries when Rawls returns remains to be seen. WR Doug Baldwin (28 catches, 361 yards, 2 TDs) has followed a breakout season with solid play this year, but WRs Tyler Lockett (11 catches, 152 yards) and Jermaine Kearse (15 catches, 137 yards) haven’t blown anyone away as second and third wideouts. Russell’s most impressive target has been TE Jimmy Graham (22 catches, 355 yards, TD), who is starting to look like he did in his New Orleans days with 18 catches for 302 yards and a touchdown in his last three games. The defense has been stifling, leading the NFL with 283.6 yards allowed per game. They’re tied for sixth with 16 sacks, a category in which they’re led by DE Cliff Avril, who has four. LBs Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright lead with 44 and 42 total tackles, respectively, and the entire secondary has lived up to its stellar reputation.

Headed into Monday night’s game, the Jets had the top-rushing defense in the NFL. Headed into Week 7, they’re ranked sixth. That’s the power of Cardinals RB David Johnson (113 carries, 568 yards, 8 TDs; 20 catches, 265 yards), who ran over New York for 111 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. He’s now third in the NFL in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns, and he’s second among running backs with receiving yards. The Seahawks’ rushing defense has allowed the third-fewest yards per game to opposing backs, so this week will likely be Johnson’s biggest challenge to date. QB Carson Palmer (60.4 CMP%, 1,363 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs) played well enough in his return from a concussion, completing 23-of-34 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night. He had missed the San Francisco game in Week 5. His production is way down from last year, when he completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 8.7 yards per attempt, 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His 8.7 YPA was best in the league; this year’s 7.29 has him 16th. Ageless WR Larry Fitzgerald (37 catches, 410 yards, 5 TDs) leads the league in touchdown receptions. His targets went down slightly from the first three games to the last three, but that might be a good thing for the rest of a group of big-name receivers that’s underperformed: John Brown (24 catches, 301 yards) has been unremarkable, and Michael Floyd (14 catches, 192 yards, 3 TDs) has been downright bad. He’s been outplayed by fellow wideout Jaron Brown (11 catches, 187 yards, TD). The defense isn’t far behind Seattle’s, as it’s tied for fourth in the league with 295 yards allowed per game. They’re in the middle of the pack with 13 sacks—LB Markus Golden is fourth in the NFL with six and DE Chandler Jones has four—but lead the league with 14 takeaways. CB Marcus Cooper has three interceptions and Jones has two fumble recoveries. S Tony Jefferson and CB Patrick Peterson have been excellent in the secondary, while CB Tyrann Mathieu still seems to be working his way back from injury.