ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-1) vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (0-2)
Date/Time: Sunday, September 25, 4:15 PM ET
Venue: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Broadcast: FOX
Cardinals vs. Seahawks Betting Lines from betonline.com:
Spread: Cards -3
Moneyline: Cards -190: Hawks +165
Over/Under: 43 points
The Arizona Cardinal travel to Seattle in Week 3 of the NFL season looking to keep the defending NFC West champs winless on the season. Arizona has looked decent this season and could be 2-0 heading into this game if not for a second half collapse against Washington last week. The Seahawks on the other hand have looked dreadful offensively but have been decent on defense. Sunday’s game will go a long way in determining which team is prime to make a run at the NFC West title and which team is destined to underwhelm this season.
Arizona did what it had to do in the offseason – they acquired the franchise quarterback that had been lacking since the retirement of Kurt Warner. Kevin Kolb has been good – completing 61% of his passes, throwing for 560 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception so far this year. Beanie Wells has been a great surprise as well. He has averaged 5.7 yards per carry, has 183 yards rushing on the season to go with two scores. Larry Fitzgerald caught 7 passes last week for 133 yards and a touchdown. What does all this mean? The Cardinals have a reliable, balanced offensive attack for the first time in years.
Arizona’s defense has been a major issue so far. They are 29th in the NFL allowing 466 yards per game and they have the 29th ranked pass defense allowing Cam Newton to throw for 422 yards in Week 1 and Rex Grossman to amass 291 yards passing last week. Strangely, the Cardinals are 11th ranked in points allowed so far.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
There is not a whole lot to like about the Seattle Seahawks so far this year but one glimmer of good news could change their fortunes. Sidney Rice appears on track to play his first game of the season on Sunday. He should help Tavaris Jackson and an offense that is dead last in the league with an average of 191.5 yards per game and last in scoring with an average of 8.5 points per game. The running game is stuck in the mud as well. The running backs have averaged just 47.5 yards per game this season thanks to underwhelming play and a lack of a quality offensive line. That O-line will be without Robert Gallery for 4-6 weeks – not a good sign for a team that has given up an incredible 10 sacks so far.
Seattle’s defense has been their only bright spot and could give the Arizona offense a challenge. They are 10th in the NFL allowing 313 yards per game and are 5th against the run allowing just 3.1 yards per carry so far. This unit hasn’t generated a turnover yet – an interesting stat considering how much that they have been on the field.
Betting Prediction: The Seattle Seahawks are traditionally good at home – Seattle is a tough building to conquer. The Hawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home game but are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall. Arizona is 0-5 ATS in their last five games against the NFC West including 2 SU and ATS losses last season versus Seattle. The Cardinals are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as favorite.
Arizona is competitive for the first time in a few seasons, something the Hawks have not been able to show just yet. But at home, in their home opener, Seattle could be a different team. If the defense plays true to their form and the crowd is as big a part of the game as they have been, Seattle could be in line for their first win. Seattle’s offense gets a chance to right the ship against a brutal Cardinals defense in what should be a very close game at very least. The home team is 7-3 in the last 10 games in this series – I like the trend to continue!
Pick: Seattle Seahawks +3
