It’s one thing to know generally that a team will be facing a tough slate of opponents in the upcoming season. It’s another thing to see the schedule laid out, one game after another.
For the Cardinals, 2026 was always destined to be a long year. They play three of the best teams in the entire league, twice each, thank to membership in the NFC West. The Cardinals play all teams from the AFC West. They play all teams from the NFC East. And that fourth-place schedule includes the Lions (somehow) and the Saints, who began to surge late in the 2025 season.
Now that the schedule is out, it’s looking even worse for the Cardinals. Via DraftKings, they’re the underdogs in every game. In eight of the games, Arizona is on the wrong end of a double-digit spread.
The objectively winnable games are few and far between. There’s a cluster of them after a very late Week 14 bye. By then, the Cardinals may be in full-blown tank mode.
Here’s the full schedule, with the current spreads:
Week 1: at Chargers (-11.5).
Week 2: Seahawks (-10).
Week 3: at 49ers (-11.5).
Week 4: at Giants (-7).
Week 5: Lions (-8.5).
Week 6: at Rams (-13.5).
Week 7: Broncos (-7.5).
Week 8: at Cowboys (-10.5).
Week 9: at Seahawks (-13.5).
Week 10: Rams (-10.5).
Week 11: at Chiefs (-11.5).
Week 12: Commanders (-4.5).
Week 13: Eagles (-8.5).
Week 14: bye
Week 15: Jets (-1.5).
Week 16: at Saints (-5.5).
Week 17: Raiders (-1.5).
Week 18: 49ers (-8.5).
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