Packers @ Cardinals Line


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This Sunday’s match up between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals will have the feel of a exhibition game. These two teams have a good chance of meeting in the first round of the playoffs and any additional information given to the opposition would offer a competitive advantage. Green Bay has not faced the level of competition that the Cardinals have throughout the season and that could play a role in how far either of these teams advance in the postseason. According to our lines, Arizona is favored by 3 points.

The Packers have won six of their last seven games, but only Dallas and Baltimore are legitimate teams in that run and they caught both at Lambeau Field. A generous schedule or not, Green Bay has the weapons to make a deep run into the NFC playoffs. QB Aaron Rodgers has been nothing short of sensational in his second full season. No longer known has Brett Favre’s backup, Rodgers has thrown for 4199 yards and 29 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He leads the league in rushing for quarterbacks and has a vast understanding of Coach McCarthy’s offense. RB Ryan Grant has really turned his game up lately, rushing for 1202 yards this year and hitting the end zone 10 times. What makes the Packer offense click is how versatile they are. Wide receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver combine for one of the better 1-2 punches in the game. Rodgers has benefited from the emergence of tight end Jermichael Finley. Green Bay loves to split him to the outside and match him up with a smaller cornerback. The Pack have adjusted nicely to the 3-4 scheme and are pressuring the opposing quarterback from all kinds of angles. Losing CB Al Harris to a season ending injury hurt pass coverage, but they have done a nice job filling that void.

It was about this time last year when the Arizona Cardinals heard how they did not belong in the playoffs after finishing the regular season at 8-8. Three wins later they were playing in the Super Bowl. Kurt Warner hasn’t been as good as last year, but has still been good enough to win 10 games for the Cards. He has thrown for 3722 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Rookie RB Beanie Wells has emerged as the leading rusher for the Cardinals while splitting the duty with Tim Hightower. Wells has rushed for 774 yards and seven touchdowns with the majority of his damage coming in the second half of the season. He has scored a touchdown in six of his last seven games and provides a physical running presence in the backfield. Ken Whisenhunt likes to use Hightower as a receiver from the running back position. WR Larry Fitzgerald has been his usual self this year and will attempt to put the Cardinals on his back for the playoff march once again. His partner in crime, Anquan Boldin, is more than capable of picking up any drop off in production Fitzgerald has this postseason.

It all comes down to backup quarterbacks in this situation as the starters won’t see much action. The Cardinals feature former first round pick Matt Leinart and he has had in game experience filling in for an injured Kurt Warner at times this season. Green Bay backup Matt Flynn played the entire fourth quarter against the Seahawks, but has thrown only nine passes to date. Arizona is out to prove that last year was no fluke so lay the three and take it to the bank.

Recommended Play: Arizona -3

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