The Arizona Cardinals moved 1.5 games clear in the NFC West standings with a nerve-wracking victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. The reigning division champions will look to extend that advantage even further when they take on the struggling Cleveland Browns in an intriguing clash at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Who will emerge victorious in this Week 8 clash? Read on below for a preview of this much-anticipated NFL showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Green Bay vs. Denver and New England vs. Miami.
[sc:Football ]Arizona Cardinals vs. Cleveland Browns Preview
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
When: Sunday, November 1, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Arizona Cardinals (-5) at Cleveland Browns (+5); total: 46.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Arizona Cardinals (5-2)
The Arizona Cardinals returned to winning ways Monday with a thrilling 26-18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at University of Phoenix Stadium. It was a huge bounce-back win for the Cards who suffered an embarrassing 25-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. With their victory against Baltimore, the Cards improved their paltry Monday Night Football record to 3-8.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Starring for the Cards in this all-important home win was Chris Johnson. He ran the ball 18 times for 122 yards and a touchdown. 62 of those yards came on a play where he rolled over the belly of a big defender and kept on running to set up a vital field goal. With that performance, Johnson topped 100 yards for the third time this season. The last Arizona player to pull off such a feat was Edgerrin James back in 2007.
The Cardinals now set their sights on a possible 6-2 start when they take on the Cleveland Browns this coming Sunday. For Arizona to achieve this feat, it needs to continue its excellent play on the defensive end. The Cards held the Ravens to just 276 total yards on Monday night. It has been that way all season for Arizona which is currently sixth in the NFL in total defense. The Cardinals are allowing just 328.7 yards per game this season.
Apart from their defense, the Cards also need another huge game from Carson Palmer if they are to beat the Browns next weekend. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns in the win against Baltimore. He will fancy his chances of repeating that performance against a feeble Cleveland defense that’s allowing 393.1 yards per game this season, fifth-worst in the NFL.
The Cardinals are 2-1 SU and ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Cleveland Browns (2-5)
Cleveland’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Browns crashed to their second straight defeat with a humbling 24-6 loss to St. Louis on Sunday. The Browns simply had no answer for rookie running back Todd Gurley who rushed for 128 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns. Such was Gurley’s dominance in this match that he finished the game with 97 rushing yards after contact, the most in the NFL this year.
Gurley’s monster performance wasn’t a complete surprise, though, considering the Browns’ ineffective defense against the run this year. The Browns have the worst rush defense in the NFL this season, allowing a whopping 151.0 yards per game. They have already conceded eight rushing touchdowns this campaign.
Compounding the Browns’ woes on Sunday was their sloppy play on the offensive end. The Cleveland Browns fumbled the ball four times against the St. Louis Rams, and their first three turnovers led to 17 huge points. They can ill afford a repeat of that performance against an Arizona defense that leads the NFL in interceptions with 11 picks this season. The Browns have already fumbled the football 13 times in seven games this year.
Head coach Mike Pettine has a huge decision to make with regards to Cleveland’s upcoming game against Arizona with Josh McCown injuring his right shoulder against St. Louis. Pettine has already made it clear that he would stick with the veteran journeyman if he’s healthy enough to play on Sunday. McCown had a rough day in the office against the Rams, taking four sacks and absorbing three quarterback hits.
With McCown’s condition still uncertain, though, there is a chance Johnny Manziel will make his second start of the season against Arizona. He may be in the headlines for the wrong reasons lately but we can’t take away the brilliant showing he delivered for Cleveland in his last start against Tennessee. He completed 8-of-15 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns in that 28-14 win over the Titans.
If Manziel once again gets the starting nod this coming Sunday, he is expected to reconnect with favorite target Travis Benjamin. He is 7 of 9 for 213 yards and three touchdowns when targeting Benjamin this season. That partnership will be crucial for Cleveland in dissecting an Arizona secondary that’s allowing just 224.2 yards per game through the air this year, seventh-fewest in the NFL.
The Browns are 1-2 SU and 1-1-1 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Arizona (-5) wins, 34-17.
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