San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals NFL Preview: Team news, betting, tickets, live stream, Fantasy Football and more

The Arizona Cardinals head into Week 3 for a divisional showdown with the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Arizona narrowly slipped past the Carolina Panthers last weekend, while San Francisco leaned on its defense to seal a hard-fought win over the New Orleans Saints.

Both squads sit at 2-0, though neither road has been smooth. The Cardinals turned heads with an opening road victory against the Saints before edging the Panthers, while the Niners clawed past both Seattle and New Orleans in nail-biting fashion. Now, something's got to give in this clash of early-season survivors.

All eyes will be on Brock Purdy, who could be cleared to suit up. With the NFC West shaping up as one of the fiercest divisions in football, Sunday’s matchup promises plenty of fireworks as the Cards and Niners go toe-to-toe for early bragging rights.

San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals kick-off time

NFL

Levi's Stadium

The 49ers and the Cardinals will meet in Week 3 of the NFL season at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, September 21, starting at 4:25 pm ET / 1:25 pm PT for fans in the US.

Team news & squads

San Francisco 49ers team news

The 49ers' midweek injury sheet painted a rough picture, with eight of the ten names listed as non-participants. Among them were Nick Bosa (rest), Spencer Buford (knee), Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), Jauan Jennings (ankle/shoulder), Kyle Juszczyk (concussion), Christian McCaffrey (calf/rest), Siran Neal (concussion), and Trent Williams (rest/knee).

There was, however, a silver lining. Ahead of Wednesday's session, it was confirmed that Brock Purdy would be back on the field in a limited capacity as he works through toe and left shoulder issues—an encouraging sign for San Francisco.

Critics have labeled the Niners' strong start smoke and mirrors, but the reality is they've leaned on a deep roster to grind out wins. Mac Jones, thrust into action after Purdy went down, hasn’t always enjoyed smooth sailing in his career. Yet he’s adjusted to Shanahan’s system and proved capable of steadying the ship. Despite a costly misstep against the Saints, Jones bounced back and delivered in crunch time when the team needed it most.

If Sunday's divisional clash comes down to the wire, the pressure will fall on Jones to keep the chains moving. Expect him to lean on Ricky Pearsall, Jennings, and the always-reliable Christian McCaffrey. With Kyle Shanahan pulling the strings, Jones will look to navigate a stingy Cardinals defense and march his team down the field when it matters most.

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Arizona Cardinals team news

The Cardinals’ injury list grew longer as of Thursday, with Will Johnson sitting out practice due to a groin issue. Both he and Max Melton dodged a trip to injured reserve after leaving Week 2 with what initially looked like serious setbacks. Unfortunately, Garrett Williams wasn’t as fortunate—you can find more on his status elsewhere.

As for Melton, he was limited with a knee problem and joined six other Cardinals on the report: Kelvin Beachum (rest), Will Hernandez (knee), Paris Johnson Jr. (knee), Tip Reiman (foot), Cody Simon (concussion), and Dante Stills (elbow).

Both Reiman and Simon were sidelined during last week’s matchup with the Panthers, while Johnson Jr. makes his first appearance on the injury sheet. Meanwhile, Hernandez continues the long road back as he works through the lingering effects of last year’s ACL tear.

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Watch and live stream 49ers vs Cardinals in the USA

The 49ers vs Cardinals game in Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season will be broadcast live nationally on FOX. Fans can catch the coverage onFubo (Try for free today!).

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More details on where to watch the game in the United States, including streaming options, will be released soon, so keep an eye out for our dedicated coverage.

Watch and live stream 49ers vs Cardinals worldwide

For fans outside the U.S. looking to stay plugged into the action,NFL Game Pass on DAZN is the ultimate ticket. It serves up more than 200 regular-season and playoff matchups, complete Super Bowl coverage, plus access to NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and plenty more to keep you locked in all year long.

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How to buy 49ers vs Cardinals tickets

The showdown between the Bears and the Cowboys is set for Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, a venue that packs in up to 68,500 fans and promises a fiery atmosphere on game day.

Tickets are already up for grabs on StubHub, with entry starting at $386. From there, prices climb through the tiers — $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000, and stretching all the way into the premium ranges of $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, and topping out at $10,406 for the best seats in the house.

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READ MORE: NFL 2025 Tickets: Prices, deals, season tickets & membership information

49ers vs Cardinals Fantasy Football

Kyler Murray (projected 18.8 fantasy points in Week 3) has been banged up early this season, but that hasn’t slowed him down. He’s guided Arizona to a 2-0 start and continues to be the heartbeat of the offense. Last year against San Francisco, Murray torched the Niners for a career-best 83 rushing yards in a 24-23 comeback thriller. History shows the 49ers’ defense has long struggled to corral Murray—and other dual-threat quarterbacks—so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him once again keep drives alive with his legs against their high-pressure front.

Meanwhile, somewhat overlooked in San Francisco’s early storylines is Christian McCaffrey (16.7 projected fantasy points). The star back finally looks healthy, though he hasn’t been able to consistently gash defenses on the ground, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Where he’s made his mark is through the air—15 catches for 125 yards already. If McCaffrey stays on the field and Brock Purdy makes it back in the coming weeks, the 49ers could soon hit a gear that makes them one of the league’s most dangerous teams.

Then there’s Ricky Pearsall (8.1 projected fantasy points), who has stepped up nicely in Brandon Aiyuk’s absence. He opened the year with a big 108-yard performance and followed it up with another solid 56-yard outing, though he’s still searching for his first touchdown. This week against Arizona, he might just find the end zone—and perhaps start stacking scores from there.

49ers vs Cardinals Game Predictions

The NFC West showdown features two unbeaten teams, both sitting at 2-0, with the winner claiming at least a share of first place in the division. The big question: will Brock Purdy suit up for San Francisco? Even if he doesn’t, Mac Jones has the tools to steer the 49ers past the Cardinals in Santa Clara.

ESPN currently gives San Francisco a 47.5% chance to come out on top in this Week 3 clash, with the remaining percentage factoring in the possibility of a tie.

49ers vs Cardinals Betting Odds

Spread

Cardinals +1.5 (-110)

49ers -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Cardinals +114

49ers -135

Total

OVER 44.5 (-105)

UNDER 44.5 (-115)

Form

Head-to-Head Record

SF

Last 5 matches

ARZ

3

Wins

0

Draws

2

Wins

• Arizona Cardinals

  47

  -

  24

  San Francisco 49ers

• San Francisco 49ers

  23

  -

  24

  Arizona Cardinals

• Arizona Cardinals

  29

  -

  45

  San Francisco 49ers

• San Francisco 49ers

  35

  -

  16

  Arizona Cardinals

• San Francisco 49ers

  38

  -

  13

  Arizona Cardinals

Useful links

• 49ers 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• Cardinals 2025 NFL schedule: TV channel, livestream & where to watch the games
• How to watch and live stream NFL football for free and without cable
• 2025 fantasy football rankings: Running back (RB) | Wide receiver (WR) | Tight end (TE) | Quarterback (QB)