It wasn’t long ago when the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl. Today, the Ravens are wallowing in the bottom of the NFC North with a poor 1-5 record. With their backs against the wall, will the Ravens be able to record a big win over the Arizona Cardinals this coming Monday? The Cardinals are also coming off a loss, but unlike Baltimore, they are atop the standings of their division.
For more Week 7 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of Bills vs. Jaguars and Browns vs. Rams.
[sc:Football ]Baltimore Ravens vs. Arizona Cardinals Preview and Prediction
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale
When: Monday, October 26, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Baltimore Ravens (+8.5) at Arizona Cardinals (-8.5); total: 48.0 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Baltimore Ravens (1-5)
[sc:NFL240banner ]Is it time for Baltimore to wave the white towel? Well, maybe not, but since only one team since 1967 has ever reached the playoffs after opening the season 1-5, the odds are stacked against the Ravens.
The Ravens suffered their fifth loss in six games on Sunday, when San Francisco handed them a 25-20 defeat in Santa Clara. With a road game against the high-scoring Cardinals up ahead, Baltimore will have to get its act together, particularly on defense, if it is to get out of the AFC North’s cellar.
Nothing says there’s a problem in the Ravens’ secondary more than the 340 passing yards Colin Kaepernick hung on them on Sunday. The 49ers are among the worst passing team in the league but Baltimore made them look terrific thanks to a number of blown coverages. That can’t happen against Arizona, which is making a killing on the air, thanks to a top-seven passing game that averages 284.2 yards per contest. Baltimore is better against the rush, as the Ravens are holding opponents down to only 94.5 yards per game.
There’s more life in Baltimore’s offense, though. The Ravens, who are 10th in the NFL in scoring (23.8 points per game), have been relying on a balanced offensive attack that generates 258.3 passing yards and 111.2 rushing yards per game.
Joe Flacco, however, is going to need other peripheral targets to step up to take some of the defensive focus way from Steve Smith (510 receiving yards, three touchdowns), who’s doing most of the heavy lifting downfield.
Justin Forsett, meanwhile, is expected to be Baltimore’s alpha male in the backfield. Forsett had 62 rushing yards on 17 carries against San Francisco.
Dating back to 2000, Baltimore is 4-0 SU in its last four games against the Cardinals.
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Betting on the Arizona Cardinals (4-2)
The Cardinals weren’t flying high on Sunday. After suffering their second loss of the season against Pittsburgh, 25-13, Arizona travels back home searching for answers.
Against the Steelers, Arizona’s shortcomings on both ends of the field were visible anew. On offense, Arizona made it to the red zone four times, but was only able to convert once. While Carson Palmer was able to dissect Pittsburgh’s defense for 421 yards, he nevertheless had two interceptions against only one touchdown while completing 29 of 45 passes.
As mentioned, Baltimore has some big issues on pass defense, which Arizona should be able to exploit given the tools Palmer has at his disposal.
One of them is John Brown, who exploded for 196 receiving yards on 10 catches in the loss to Pittsburgh. There’s also Larry Fitzgerald, who paces the team with 583 receiving yards and six touchdowns on the season.
Defensively, the Cardinals looked hapless against Pittsburgh’s backfield that burned rubber for 141 yards. It was the same problem the Cards had in their loss to St. Louis in Week 4, when Todd Gurley rushed for 146 yards. Stopping running backs has been among the chief problems of Arizona, but the Cards should be able to take care of Justin Forsett, who is not on the same level as Le’Veon Bell and Gurley.
Arizona can dish it too on the ground. The Cardinals are 11th in the NFL with 121.5 rushing yards per game. A rejuvenated Chris Johnson has been playing his best football in years, which is evidenced by his team-high 445 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Baltimore has among the best run defenses in the league this year, but CJ2K, David Johnson, and Andre Ellington can find holes to burst through once Palmer and the Cards passing game clicks.
Arizona is 8-2 SU and ATS in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Arizona (-8.5) wins, 31-23.
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