Cardinals vs. 49ers Recap: Kittle's Late TD Seals the Alt Spread

San Francisco beat Arizona 36-30, and it got tight late. The 49ers led 23-6 early in the third quarter. Arizona then scored touchdowns on a 14-play drive and on a short field after a muffed punt to make it 23-20. George Kittle caught a 10-yard score, and a Jacoby Brissett 1-yard run cut it to 29-27 with 2:51 left. Brock Purdy answered with a 20-yard touchdown to Kittle at 1:31, and an Arizona field goal set the final. Six DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

49ers ML (-420 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: Mike Evans (hip) expected to play. Nick Bosa was out, but Arizona was starting Brissett on the road.
• What happened: San Francisco won 36-30. The 49ers ran only 50 plays to Arizona's 81, but they averaged 8.7 yards a play. Purdy threw for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns on 27 attempts, and he wasn't sacked.
• Worth watching: At -420 this is a parlay leg, not a single bet. It held.

ALT: 49ers -3.5 (alt, targeted -170 to -200): CASHED

• Our read: Called by Darius: Arizona had just lost 31-7 to Seattle, and San Francisco was 2-0 at home. The risks were Bosa out and Evans questionable, with the main line at -8.5.
• What happened: The 49ers won by 6 and covered -3.5 by 2.5. At 29-27 the alt was losing. On the next drive a 45-yard Purdy touchdown run was wiped out by a Kittle holding call, and Kittle caught the 20-yard score two plays later.
• Worth watching: The main -8.5 would not have covered, and the alt did by 2.5. That's the trade we make with alt lines on big home favorites.

ALT: 49ers team total Over 23.5 (alt, targeted -170 to -200): CASHED

• Our read: A -8.5 spread with a 47.5 to 48.5 total implied about 28 points, so 24 left a full field goal of cushion.
• What happened: San Francisco scored 36, 12.5 over. It had 17 by halftime and reached 23 on its first drive of the third quarter.
• Worth watching: Building a team total from the spread and the game total is a sound start, and this one never needed the cushion.

Christian McCaffrey anytime TD (about -260): CASHED

• Our read: San Francisco was a 7.5-point home favorite, and McCaffrey is the red-zone focal point.
• What happened: He scored on a 1-yard run early in the third quarter. He finished with 15 carries for 75 yards and 4 catches for 41. The 49ers were 2-for-2 in the red zone, and he finished one of those trips himself.
• Worth watching: He got the goal-line carry, which is the whole bet. That role keeps this prop on our radar.

ALT: Trey McBride 50+ receiving yards (alt, targeted -170 to -200): CASHED

• Our read: BetMGM's main line was 68.5. McBride had 1,375 yards since the start of last season, the most of any tight end, and caught 8 of 9 targets the week before. As an 8.5-point dog, Arizona should throw a lot.
• What happened: Brissett threw 52 times. McBride caught 9 of 11 targets for 75 yards and cleared 49.5 by 25.5. Four of those catches came on the 14-play fourth-quarter drive that ended in Brissett's touchdown run.
• Worth watching: The pass-heavy script showed up. The main 68.5 would have cashed too, so the main number is worth a look when the script is this clear.

Tyler Allgeier under 33.5 rushing yards (-114 at FanDuel): CASHED

• Our read: Rookie Jeremiyah Love was taking over. Allgeier got just 31% of the carries in Week 2, for 10 yards on five rushes, and as an 8.5-point dog Arizona should be throwing late.
• What happened: Allgeier had 2 carries for -1 yard, 34.5 under. Love got 21 carries for 90 yards. Allgeier was used more as a receiver, with 4 catches for 10 yards.
• Worth watching: This was a long shot by our own confidence, and it landed easily. When a backfield tilts this hard, the backup's rushing under is one of the cleaner looks on the board.

How the game played out

Brissett completed 38 passes on 52 attempts for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions, and he ran one in. Michael Wilson caught 11 of 17 targets for 89 yards. Arizona held the ball for 38:44 and didn't turn it over, but it was flagged 10 times for 86 yards.

Trends to watch

• The alt spread covered by 2.5 in a game the main line didn't. We'll keep taking cushion on big home favorites.
• San Francisco averaged 8.7 yards a play on only 50 snaps. Its team total holds up even when the other side controls the clock.
• Love took 21 carries to Allgeier's 2. Until that split changes, Allgeier's rushing under stays worth a look.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. New to these terms? Read up on the alt line, the point spread and the anytime touchdown, or see more at NFL.