The 2025 NFL Preseason draws to a close on Saturday night with the final game of the exhibition slate taking place at 10 p.m. EST. Tonight, the Arizona Cardinals host the Las Vegas Raiders for one more tune-up opportunity as these teams duel in the desert. While the Cards take a more conservative approach, the Raiders may have starters available, so there’s plenty of reason to tune in — and fire up a couple of picks on DraftKings Sportsbook.
As we head into the final game of NFL football before the regular season begins in September, let’s prepare with a Cardinals vs. Raiders prediction and pick for this nightcap.
Cardinals vs. Raiders prediction, preview
Arizona Cardinals
These Cardinals are 1-1 in the NFL Preseason so far with a 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs and a 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos. The starters have seen very little work as Kyler Murray’s thrown just eight passes and James Conner took just three carries in his lone game. Those guys certainly won’t suit up, so it’ll be second-stringers making starts on Saturday night.
Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett has split reps with young signal-caller Clayton Tune. So far, Brissett looks much better with a 68.8% completion percentage, 138 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers. Tune, meanwhile, has completed 62.1% of his throws for 103 yards with no scores and one pick. Halfback Michael Carter leads the Cardinals with 15 carries but took those for just 30 yards and was outgained by Zamir Knight (seven CAR, 55 YDS), and even RB2 Trey Benson nearly beat that yardage total as well with nine carries for 29 yards. Receiving work has run through a long list of players also headlined by Carter with five receptions, and it’s clear the Cardinals still plan to check it down into the backfield plenty. Without starters active, it’s tough to predict which wideouts will get the ball, but Xavier Weaver does have three catches for 31 yards and a score on a team-high seven targets.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders come into this game with an 0-1-1 record through the NFL Preseason thus far. They tied 23-23 in the opening contest against the Seattle Seahawks before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in a 22-19 final last week, so there’s reason to believe the team comes out with a strong response as they try and end things on a high note. Head coach Pete Carroll said the first team should be live once again, but it’s tough to tell which starters actually see time.
Newly-acquired quarterback Geno Smith has thrown just 11 passes so far, completing 63.6% of those for 70 yards. He may get the start again, though Aidan O’Connell likely gets most of the reps as he works to maintain his backup role. He completed 62.3% of his attempts for 343 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions through the exhibition slate. Star rookie halfback Ashton Jeanty rushed 10 times for 32 yards and a score in two games, but if he doesn’t go, Dylan Laube (seven CAR, 39 YDS), Chris Collier (13 CAR, 68 YDS) and Sincere McCormick (four CAR, 13 YDS) will see most of the rushing work. As far as pass catchers go, Shedrick Jackson leads the team with seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. While it’d be nice to see rookie Jack Bech today, he also may not play along with Tre Tucker and Jakobi Meyers.
Cardinals vs. Raiders pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Raiders as 2.5-point favorites with -148 odds on the Moneyline. The Cardinals enter as +124 home underdogs to win outright. The game total sits at 37.5 points.
NFL Preseason betting often proves tricky since it’s hard to predict outcomes to begin with, much less when starters are missing from the field. However, there’s still value on betting cards if you know where to look.
If the Raiders’ starters see a drive or two to begin this game, I feel quite inclined to take them to cover tonight. Their status remains uncertain though, and I do have to admit I’m a little bit wary since they haven’t won a game in their two chances yet. So instead of rolling with that bet, I’m instead targeting 125+ rushing yards for Las Vegas. Arizona’s defense surrendered 259 rushing yards over their two contests and the Raiders have a fairly deep stable of backs who can get to that number regardless of whether Jeanty suits up. If the No. 6 pick does take the field though, I’ll feel even better about this pick.
