The Cardinals got a wake-up call last week, getting knocked from the unbeaten ranks by the Rams. The Lions’ first win of the season was knocked out of the back of the end zone in Seattle. Detroit will try again for its first win of the year and will have to end a six-game losing streak to the Cardinals to get it this week.
ODDS
Arizona hit the board as a 3-point favorite with the total at 44. The Cardinals have rewarded their bettors recently with an 8-4 ATS record in the last 12 games. The total was wagered a point higher and currently rests at 45.
KEY INJURIES
Darren Fells – Is dealing with a hip injury that forced him to miss practice and is questionable to play Sunday. Troy Niklas will see more snaps opposite Jermaine Gresham in Arizona’s two-tight end sets.
Eric Ebron – Injured his knee during the second quarter at Seattle on Monday night and could be out a few weeks. He’s been one of Detroit’s most effective weapons this season with 15 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Burton could see more action at tight end in Ebron’s absence.
KEY MISMATCH
The Cardinals are expecting to have all their regular offensive starters available for Sunday’s game. Now that coach Bruce Arians has the personnel he envisioned in training camp on the field, can they produce the results he also expected? Running back Andre Ellington is expected to play after missing three weeks with a sprained knee. Left guard Mike Iupati returned last week after knee surgery, and right tackle Bobby Massie debuted the week before. The Cardinals appear loaded with skill players on offense. Ellington joins Chris Johnson and David Johnson to give the Cards options at running back. Michael Floyd has recovered from three dislocated fingers and Larry Fitzgerald leads the NFL with five touchdown receptions. A healthy roster gives the Cardinals a good chance to bounce back from their first loss of the season. They are wary, however, of the Lions, who are also coming off a disappointing loss and have yet to win this season.
KEY STAT
75.0 – Detroit’s 27th-ranked red zone scoring efficiency. Also, the Lions’ eight red-zone drives are tied with Chicago for the NFL’s fewest, so it’s no surprise the Lions rank in the bottom four in scoring and total offense.
BETTING ANGLE
The Lions may have lost a heartbreaker at Seattle last Monday, but they can view it as a positive experience, since they gave the Seahawks everything they had and almost won the game. Defensively, Detroit showed poise and was able to contain Russell Wilson while forcing two fumbles from him, one of which led to a defensive score. The Lions still have some work to do on offense, but quarterback Matthew Stafford looked like the guy we expected in the fourth quarter and should’ve had the game-winning touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson. An unfortunate set of circumstances surrounding the goal-line fumble and the Seattle illegal batting penalty that wasn’t called, led to another Lions loss. Sooner or later the calls and plays that went against Detroit, will start to swing in the Lions favor.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Cardinals are likely to have a full complement of players on the offensive side of the football when they tangle with the Lions. And that’s a scary possibility for Detroit’s defense. The Cardinals are second in the NFL in scoring and fourth in total yards. The Cards self-destructed last week with turnovers and failed red zone attempts and shouldn’t have the same problems against the Lions. Detroit’s D has been stingy, shutting down the Seahawks last week, and they’re likely to get their top defender, linebacker DeAndre Levy, back in the lineup. That will help to contain Carson Palmer and the Cards suddenly potent running game. The Lions just haven’t been able to get the offense in gear, scoring a total of 38 points in the past three games. The offensive line was graded the worst in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, the team can’t run the football and the Cards are licking their chops to get at Stafford.
Arizona 30, Detroit 24
The NFL odds for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Cardinals were positioned as 3-point favorites with a total of 44. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions is set for Sunday, October 11, 2015, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Ford Field. The contest will be broadcast regionally on FOX.
