Cardinals vs. 49ers NFL injury report, odds: Spread in flux with Kyler Murray game-time decision; Colt McCoy is backup quarterback

It has been a most newsworthy past week or so involving quarterbacks with the Aaron Rodgers COVID positive test, Jameis Winston season-ending injury, Mike White becoming a temporary cult hero, and Tyrod Taylor returning. It's almost as if NFL fans forgot about Arizona's Kyler Murray and his injury suffered at the end of the Cards' Week 8 loss to Green Bay. It's very up in the air whether Murray and Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins are in the lineup Sunday at San Francisco and that spread has flipped from Cards -3 to Niners -2. Murray is being called a game-time decision, which is a nightmare Fantasy scenario for 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. 

Other than the Packers-Chiefs spread going from a pick'em to Kansas City -7.5, the Cardinals-Niners movement is the biggest on the Week 9 board. Murray of course threw a crushing interception in the Packers end zone last Thursday on third down in the final seconds; had the former Heisman winner simply thrown the ball away, Arizona was in position for a chip-shot field goal to send the game into OT. The ending was so wild that Murray limping off was barely noticed on the telecast.

He's dealing with a medial sprain of his left ankle and hasn't even appeared on the field at practices this week. Kliff Kingsbury has said Murray doesn't have to practice to play. He's currently the +500 second-favorite at Caesars Sportsbook to win NFL MVP behind Josh Allen (+300). With 31 passing yards on Sunday, Murray would become the fourth-youngest player (24 years, 92 days) to reach 10,000 passing yards in NFL history.

Murray has yet to miss a start in his three-year NFL career and the Cards' backup is journeyman Colt McCoy. If he starts, expect the 49ers to rise to -3. The 35-year-old is on his fifth NFL team and has started only five games in the last six seasons. He was 1-1 as a starter last year with the Giants and is 8-22 as one all-time.

As for Hopkins, he aggravated his hamstring injury in the Packers game and also hasn't practiced this week. Frankly, Hopkins almost never practices and still plays but that he wasn't on the field for the final drive vs. Green Bay is telling.

The Cardinals are 4-0 SU & ATS on the road this year and have scored at least 30 points in each. They are looking to become the first team since the 2000 Rams to score at least 30 in the first five road games of a season.

For the Niners, top running back Elijah Mitchell, a rookie who has had back-to-back 100-yard games, and receiver Deebo Samuel, who is second in the NFL with 819 yards, have been limited this week but likely will play. The Niners are 1-7 SU & ATS in their past eight at Levi's Stadium.

San Francisco lost 17-10 in Arizona in Week 5 when Trey Lance was the Niners' QB, but Jimmy Garoppolo is healthy now. Murray had a TD pass to Hopkins with about five minutes left to essentially clinch it.

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