San Francisco (6-10) at Arizona (7-9)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox.
BetMGM Odds: Cardinals by 4.
Against the spread: 49ers 5-11; Cardinals 10-6.
Series record: 49ers lead 36-30.
Last meeting: Cardinals beat 49ers 24-23 on Oct. 6, 2024, in Santa Clara, California.
Last week: 49ers lost to Lions 40-34; Cardinals lost to Rams 13-9.
49ers offense: overall (5), rush (11), pass (4), scoring (13)
49ers defense: overall (6), rush (17), pass (4) scoring (22)
Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (7), pass (18), scoring (15)
Cardinals defense: overall (18), rush (20), pass (12), scoring (14t)
Turnover differential: 49ers minus-7; Cardinals minus-6
QB Joshua Dobbs. With starter Brock Purdy out with an elbow injury, Dobbs will make his first start for San Francisco. Dobbs started eight games for Arizona last season before being traded to Minnesota. He has a 77.5 career passer rating with 15 TD passes, 13 interceptions and 5.8 yards per attempt in 14 starts.
TE Trey McBride. He's been one of the NFL's best tight ends this season and became just the 10th tight end in NFL history to top 100 receptions in a season during his 12-catch game against the Rams last week. The 25-year-old is hard to bring down, with 480 of his 1,081 yards receiving coming after the catch.
QB Kyler Murray vs. San Francisco's defense. Murray's had some trouble taking care of the football over the past 1 1/2 months, throwing five TDs and eight INTs over the past six games. The Niners defense has been one of the best in the NFL against the pass this season.
San Francisco OL Spencer Burford (calf) will miss another game, leaving recent additions Charlie Heck and Austen Pleasants to likely split time at LT with Trent Williams and Jaylon Moore already out. ... Nick Zakelj will make his second career start at LG with Aaron Banks and Ben Bartch sidelined. ... CB Charvarius Ward is expected back this week after missing last week's game for personal reasons. ... Cardinals RB James Conner (knee) is out for the season after being put on injured reserve earlier this week. He ran for 1,094 yards this season.
The Cardinals beat the 49ers earlier this season, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series. This is the sixth time since 2002 that the division rivals have met in the final game of the regular season.
The 49ers have lost six of seven games and with one more loss they will have their second-worst record in eight seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan. They went 4-12 in 2018. ... San Francisco is 1-4 in division games after going 11-1 the previous two seasons against NFC West rivals. ... The 49ers have two takeaways in eight games since returning from the bye week. ... Niners TE George Kittle topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season for the fourth time last week. Only Travis Kelce (seven) has more among TEs. ... WR Ricky Pearsall had eight catches for 141 yards and a TD last week for the most yards receiving for a 49ers rookie since Jerry Rice had 241 against the Rams in 1985. … San Francisco DE Nick Bosa had two sacks last week and needs one more for his fourth straight season with double-digit sacks. ... Jake Moody missed two long field goals and a PAT last week. His nine missed FGs are the most for a Niners kicker since David Akers had 13 in 2012. Moody is 4 for 12 on FGs from at least 40 yards since returning from a high ankle sprain in Week 10. ... San Francisco WR Jauan Jennings needs 77 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career. ... The Cardinals have lost five of six since entering their bye week with a 6-4 record. ... Arizona has a 5-3 record at home this season. ... McBride needs 12 catches in the finale to match the NFL record of 116 set by Zach Ertz with the Eagles in 2018. McBride has caught 12 passes in three games this season ... WR Marvin Harrison Jr. needs 78 yards receiving to hit 900 for the season. He'd be just the second rookie WR in franchise history with at least 900 yards in a season, joining Anquan Boldin, who had 1,377 yards in 2003. ... The Cardinals defense has 12 different players who have had at least two sacks this season, which leads the NFL.
Harrison had six catches for 96 yards last week in one of his most productive games of the season. Look for Arizona to try and get him involved early and often as they try to give him some momentum heading into the offseason.
NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) makes a catch while Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake tackles him during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan listens to a question during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray answers questions after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (5) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored his 872nd career goal to move 23 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record, and the Washington Capitals beat the struggling New York Rangers 7-4 Saturday.
Ovechkin has four goals in five games since returning from missing the previous 16 because of a broken left leg. The 39-year-old has 19 goals this season and is on pace to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 this spring.
Dylan Strome, Lars Eller, Andrew Mangiapane, Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas also scored against Jonathan Quick, who remains stuck on 399 career wins. Tom Wilson sealed it with an empty-netter with 37.5 seconds left, and Logan Thompson made 28 saves to compensate for giving the puck away to Chris Kreider for his goal into a wide-open net.
SHARKS 3, DEVILS 2
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Cody Ceci scored with 24 seconds left in the third period, and San Jose beat New Jersey.
With the game tied 2-2, Ceci’s slap shot from the point beat Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Yaroslav Askarov stopped 28 shots for San Jose, and Markstrom made 21 saves for New Jersey.
Macklin Celebrini gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead with a hard wrist shot on his first shift of the third period, but Paul Cotter answered for the Devils.
Nikolai Kovalenko scored his first goal with the Sharks late in the first period after joining the team in a trade last month. Nico Hischier, on his 26th birthday, tied the game in the second on the power play by deflecting the puck in off a pass by Jack Hughes.
RED WINGS 4, JETS 2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond each scored power-play goals to help lead Detroit to a victory over Winnipeg that extended their winning streak to a season-high four games.
Larkin added an empty-net goal and Alex DeBrincat also scored for Detroit. Raymond and Patrick Kane contributed a pair of assists and Moritz Seider had three assists.
Alex Lyon made 21 saves for the Red Wings.
Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced and was held at 299 career wins for the second game in a row.
Morrissey took a puck to the mouth area in the first period, but returned after getting repairs and seemed to spark his teammates.
The Jets outshot the Red Wings 11-3 in the second period.
WILD 4, HURRICANES 0
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Filip Gustavsson made 20 saves for his third shutout this season, Marco Rossi had four assists and Minnesota beat Carolina.
The Wild improved to 16-5-2 when scoring first this season as Mats Zuccarello beat Pyotr Kochetkov on a slap shot for a 1-0 lead with 6:57 left in the first period.
Zuccarello, who also assisted on Joel Eriksson Ek’s tip-in goal on the power play in the second period, added an empty net goal with 3:46 remaining. Matt Boldy also scored in the third.
The short-handed Wild won their third consecutive game despite missing leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov (sidelined for a fifth consecutive game by a lower-body injury) and captain Jared Spurgeon (out at least two weeks with a right leg injury).
BLUE JACKETS 6, BLUES 4
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dmitri Voronkov scored two goals and Columbus beat St. Louis.
Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, Mathieu Oliver and Mikael Pyyhtia also scored for the Blue Jackets, who are 5-2-1 in their last eight. Ivan Provorov and Sean Monahan each had three assists, Zach Werenski had two, and Elvis Merzilikins stopped 29 shots.
Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou and Cam Fowler each had a goal and an assist for St. Louis, and Colton Parayko also scored. Dylan Holloway had two assists and Joel Hofer made 33 saves as the Blues lost for just the second time in six games.
The Blue Jackets twice led by three goals in a wild third period which had eight goals, including five in a 3:40 span. Voronkov capped the flurry at 7:24 to make it 5-2.
CANADIENS 2, AVALANCHE 1
DENVER (AP) — Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield scored in the shootout, Jakub Dobes had 22 saves in regulation, and Montreal beat Colorado.
Caufield had the regulation goal for Montreal, which wrapped up its road trip with a 4-2 mark.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves but could only stop one of three Canadiens in the shootout. Colorado had its season-high six-game winning streak snapped.
Mikko Rantanen scored his 23rd of the season at 9:01 of the first. Montreal got the equalizer from Caufield with 6:35 remaining on an odd-man rush with Nick Suzuki.
Both teams had breakaway chances in the overtime. Blackwood stopped Kaiden Guhle’s shot in the first minute and Dobes denied Artturi Lehkonen in the final minutes.
MAPLE LEAFS 6, BRUINS 4
TORONTO (AP) — Matthew Knies had three goals and two assists, Mitch Marner had a goal and four assists, and Toronto beat Boston.
Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists in his return after missing six games with an undisclosed upper-body injury, and Jake McCabe had a goal and an assist for Toronto, which has won three straight and four of five. Joseph Woll had 26 saves to win his fourth straight start.
David Pastrnak had two goals, and Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic also scored as Boston lost its third straight and fourth in its last five games. Jeremy Swayman finished with 23 saves.
Knies gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 lead with his 14th of the season at 5:28 of the third period, beating Swayman after taking a feed from Matthews from behind the goal. After Marner’s empty-net goal, Pastrnak added his second to make it 5-4 with less than two minutes remaining. Mathews sealed it with an empty-netter with 31 seconds left.
STARS 3, UTAH 2, OT
DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Thomas Harley scored on a rebound at 3:01 of overtime and Dallas beat Utah.
Jamie Benn and Oskar Bäck also scored for the Stars, who have won four straight for the first time since opening the season with four wins. Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston each had two assists, and Jake Oettinger made 33 saves.
Matias Maccelli scored twice and Karel Vejmelka stopped 26 shots as Utah lost for the sixth time in seven games (1-4-2).
In overtime, Harley lifted the puck into the net after Vejmelka stopped a shot by Matt Duchene at the crease. It was Harley’s 21st career goal — fourth in overtime — 155 games.
Maccelli tied it 1-1 just 1:14 after Benn put the Stars ahead 16 seconds into the second period. Bäck put the Stars ahead 2-1 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining in the second, and Maccelli tied it again 3:07 later with his second two-goal game and fifth goal of the season.
Maccelli scored for the first time since Nov. 7, going 23 games without a goal. Bäck scored for the first time since Nov. 14, going 22 games without a goal.
KINGS 2, LIGHTNING 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adrian Kempe broke a tie with 5:48 to play and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay for their fourth consecutive victory.
Mikey Anderson scored in the first period and Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves for the Kings, who shut out Tampa Bay over the final 58 1/2 minutes. Los Angeles has won 12 of 16.
Captain Victor Hedman scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots for Tampa Bay, which has lost three straight games for the first time in two months.
Hedman, who was bloodied by a puck to the head Thursday at San Jose, scored just 70 seconds after the opening faceoff in Los Angeles. The star defenseman’s powerful shot ramped off Anderson’s stick and beat Kuemper for his fifth goal of the season.
Anderson answered several minutes later with a long shot through traffic for his career high-tying fifth goal.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, SABRES 1
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tanner Laczynski scored his first goal of the season, Adin Hill stopped 23 shots and Vegas beat Buffalo.
The Golden Knights have totaled a league-high 33 points while going 16-3-1 since Nov. 21 to take over the No. 1 spot in the NHL with 57 points — leapfrogging Winnipeg, which Jets, which lost to Detroit.
Mark Stone and Jack Eichel also scored for Vegas, while Tanner Pearson added two assists.
Jason Zucker scored for Buffalo and James Reimer made 30 saves. The Sabres closed out a four-game road trip with a third-straight loss.
OILERS 4, KRAKEN 2
SEATTLE (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin and Jeff Skinner scored in the first 5 1/2 minutes and Edmonton beat Seattle for their third straight victory.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl also scored, with Draisaitl wrapping it up with an empty-netter with 1:58 left — just six seconds after the Kraken pulled goalie Philipp Grubauer for an extra attacker.
Calvin Pickard made 15 saves to help Edmonton improve to 24-12-3. Viktor Arvidsson had two assists.
Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle. Grubauer made 28 saves.
Podkolzin needed just 57 seconds to put Edmonton on top, breaking down the right wing, taking a pass from Draisaitl and beating Grubauer from low in the slot.
Skinner made it 2-0 at 5:18, taking a long pass from Kasperi Kapanen and tucking it past Grubauer from the top of the crease for his seventh.
PREDATORS 4, FLAMES 1
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly had his fifth NHL hat trick to help Nashville beat Calgary for their second victory in two nights.
Justus Annunen made 31 saves a night after Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots in a 3-0 victory iin Vancouver. Rookie center Fedor Svechkov also scored and had an assist for his first career multi-point game. Filip Forsberg had two assists.
Mikael Backlund scored for Calgary, and Dustin Wolf made 24 saves. The Flames have lost consecutive games for the first time since November.
O’Reilly opened the scoring on the power play at 4:21 of the second, lifting a puck over Wolf from in close after Svechkov worked the puck out front from behind the net.
New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, left, defends against Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
