Week 7 Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals NFL Free Pick – Odds – Handicapping Preview
The Seattle Seahawks return from their bye this week in search of their third win in four games when they travel East to take on a Cleveland Browns team that is certainly improved but has lost two straight games.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, October 23, 2011
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix, Arizona
Broadcast: CBS
Steelers vs. Cardinals Betting Lines from betonline.com
Spread: Steelers -3 ½
Moneyline: Steelers -180: Cardinals +160
Over/Under: 41.5 points
The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to continue their winning ways on Sunday when they travel to Arizona to take on a Cardinals team that is fresh off their bye and ready to shake a terrible slump. It was only a few short years ago that these two teams met in the Super Bowl. One team could realistically get there again this season while the other has to be looking to next year and beyond already.
Pittsburgh has been winning games – four out of five but they have been getting it done in less than impressive fashion in some cases. In Jacksonville last week, they failed to cover in an unflattering 17-13 win in which the offense gained just 315 yards. In that game, Ben Roethlisberger threw for only 200 yards while Rashard Mendenhall stole the show with 146 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Pittsburgh’s offense has been inconsistent this season – the run and the pass appear far from the elite squads that most predicted during the preseason. The passing game is ranked 12th with an average of 260.67 yards per game and the running game is 11th with an average of 122.23 yards per game. The running game will get a chance to shine in this games against an Arizona defense that has given up an average of 130 yards per game in their last 4 including a staggering 172 yards in their last game against Minnesota. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Pittsburgh’s defense has been good but will be without standouts James Harrison, Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith this week. They were superb last week giving up 200 total yards to the Jags and registering 6 sacks. The run defense has surprisingly been the weakness – 15th ranked and allowing 112.83 yards per game. They have given up 126 yards per game in their last three. The Steelers pass defense has been incredible – the best unit in the NFL allowing just 237 yards per game.
The Arizona Cardinals have lost four straight games that culminated in a brutal Week 5 beat down against the previously winless Minnesota Vikings. Needless to say, the bye came at exactly the right time! The offense has been nothing special and the defense has been very generous.
Arizona’s struggles can be traced back to the play of Kevin Kolb. He has five touchdown and six interceptions on the season and in the last three games has an ugly 60.8 QB rating with just one touchdown and five interceptions. Kolb has been bad but should get back on track once he realizes that he has Larry Fitzgerald to throw to. The real surprise in the Arizona offense has been the play of Beanie Wells who had a down game with just 60 yards and a score last week. He is among the league leaders in rushing and touchdowns and he represents the Cardinals only real chance to win this game – against the less-than-stout Steelers run defense.
Arizona’s defense doesn’t scare anybody. They are 20th against the pass, 20th against the run and are the 19th ranked scoring defense in the league.
Betting Prediction: The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games are 9-14 SU in 23 and 1-4 ATS in their last five games on the road. Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in their last six games versus the Cards and is 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to Arizona. The Arizona Cardinals are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games, 1-5 SU in their last six but are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games as home underdog.
This game is simply a case of the “Haves” versus the “Have-Nots”. Pittsburgh is superior in absolutely every aspect of the game. Arizona’s bye may have heeled some wounds but there is no way it was able to take the Cards to a place that they need to be. Pittsburgh wins easy this week and erases the memories of an underwhelming performance from last week.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers -3 ½
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