The NFC West is one of the most intriguing divisions of the 2019 NFL season, and two of its teams will go head to head on Thursday night as the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers kick off Week 9.

Before we reveal why the Niners are positioned to stay unbeaten despite hitting the road for this rivalry, let's get you some details on how and when to tune in:

How to watch

Date: Thursday, Oct. 31 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
TV: FOX, NFL Network | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App

Preview

The Cardinals (3-4-1) came into their last game having won three straight, and for two and a half quarters Sunday, they actually hung around with the New Orleans Saints. They struggled mightily turning opportunities into points, however, settling for three field goals despite a few more highlight-reel plays from quarterback Kyler Murray. As long as Murray is on the field, in fact, Arizona should make for an entertaining game, but their defense lives and dies off the bend-but-don't-break mentality -- and, as the Saints proved, can easily be exposed. With both Chase Edmonds and David Johnson banged up, the pressure will also be on Kliff Kingsbury to get newbie Kenyan Drake involved on the ground.

The 49ers (7-0), meanwhile, are the last team outside of the New England Patriots to remain unbeaten, and they have looked the part. Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't been overwhelmingly great this season, but he was at his best Sunday in a beat-down of the Carolina Panthers, and truth be told, he hasn't had to be great under Kyle Shanahan, who's schemed up an enviable rushing attack and leaned on a Nick Bosa-led defense to bully opponents week in and week out. San Fran has been taken down to the wire a few times, but all in all, it's hard to pinpoint weaknesses in their lineup, especially with newcomer Emmanuel Sanders making an instant impact as one of Garoppolo's pass targets.

Prediction

Divisional games are typically tougher to predict, and for all the people clamoring for the Saints after their latest big win at home, Arizona deserves some credit for sticking with New Orleans for as long as it did, especially considering the Cards were on the road with a rookie quarterback who may have given his team a lead if not for an uncharacteristic Larry Fitzgerald mistake. All that's to say, the Cardinals shouldn't be lifeless when they return to the field on Thursday night, and Murray's athleticism truly guarantees Kingsbury's offense will open a few eyes.

The thing is, however, San Francisco's defense is unlike anything the Cardinals have faced this year. Bosa and the Niners front are no joke. And neither is Shanahan's running game, which has squeezed some serious juice out of Tevin Coleman in recent weeks. Arizona may surprise a few people if they can force Garoppolo into a turnover, but ultimately, this feels like it should be another relatively smooth victory for the undefeated 49ers. Their ability to keep and control the ball will go a long way, even on the road on a short week, and they shouldn't have too much trouble covering the 9.5-point spread.

Pick: 49ers

Check out CBSSports.com for even more predictions on this game and the rest of Week 9, including from Pete Prisco and Will Brinson.