Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals Betting Preview

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
Betting Line: Cardinals -1

Green Bay defeated Arizona 33-7 last week but the Cardinals rested several players, including QB Kurt Warner.

The Packers ranked in the Top 5 offensively this season and have good balance with RB Ryan Grant (5.9 yards-per-carry last 4 games) and QB Aaron Rodgers (30-7 TD/INT ratio). They have a speedy quartet of wider receivers and a big-play TE in Jermichael Finley. Their one problem: pass protection. Although the return of OTs Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher stabilized a very leaky line, Rodgers was still sacked 50 times. Arizona totalled 43 sacks but no one player had more than seven. Look for the Cards to blitz frequently and to force Rodgers into quick throws. Arizona ranked in the Top 5 in 3rd-down conversion pct. and if they can contain Grant early in the game, they'll put the Packers in difficult down and distance situations. Their starting safeties (Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle) combined for nine interceptions while CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie led the team with six.

Arizona is more balanced offensively than they were last season (when they finished 32nd in rushing) but they know Warner has the arm and receivers to lead them to victory in this contest. One look at Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's 503-yard passing performance against Green Bay's defense shows what a protected QB can do against a secondary minus CB Al Harris (IR). WR Larry Fitzgerald torched opposing secondaries in last year's Super Bowl run and he will be the top target again this week. WR Anquan Boldin (ankle, check status) has been hobbled but expects to play. Rookie RB Chris "Beanie" Wells has given the offense another dimension and has teamed with RB Tim Hightower to score 15 TDs on the ground. Green Bay ranked No.1 vs. the run this season but they have to be concerned with Arizona's passing game. This could allow the RBs a little more room than would normally be expected.

Green Bay comes into this contest riding a 7-0-1 ATS streak in their last eight games. They are dynamic offensively but we think Arizona offers a little more balance on both sides of the ball. Both offenses are expected to go off but we feel the Cards can contain the Packers offense a little better than the other way around. They had a very conservative game plan last week as they knew they would face Green Bay this week. Warner has shone in the playoffs before and look for him to be a key element in an Arizona win. Take the Cardinals