The Arizona Cardinals are a team built to win right now. And when they aren’t winning it makes the future look awful bleak. It’s been a sharp decline for a team that was one win away from playing in the Super Bowl last season and the biggest drop-off has come from Carson Palmer. An MVP candidate last season, Palmer has looked ordinary and the Cards are suffering because of it. He’ll get another crack to prove that he’s not done yet when facing the Atlanta Falcons in a Week 12 contest.
This contest in Week 12 of the regular season will go down Sunday, November 27, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at the Georgia Dome.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona Cardinals +4
Atlanta Falcons -4
Over/Under 50
Odds Analysis
The Cardinals have been a terrible bet this season and the opening line is evidence of that. Arizona is given the most points in any game this season with the opening 4-point spread and they are 0-2 SU and ATS when playing as the dog. The Cards have failed to cover in four straight and are just 3-7 ATS this season. The Cards have the No. 1 overall defense but with an extra week to prepare, the Falcons find a way and the total of 50 is well within reach.
Injury Report
Tyrann Mathieu – Remains sidelined with a shoulder injury though the team said he is progressing faster than expected. Having Mathieu in the secondary against the top passing team in the league would help, but it’s likely the Cardinals will have to handle the Falcons without him, leaving them vulnerable down the field.
Jacob Tamme – The Falcons lost their tight end to a shoulder injury and Tamme’s loss puts a damper on the passing game. Matt Ryan completed just one pass to a tight end in Atlanta’s last game and the offense struggled against the Eagles. Tamme had secured 22 catches before suffering his injury.
Matchup to Watch
The Falcons were awful at getting to the quarterback last season and the team used the draft to upgrade the defensive side of the ball. The selections have worked out and the team is better at getting pressure, though the overall numbers are still not up to the standards of Dan Quinn. Expect the Falcons to use some elaborate packages to get after Palmer after the Cards quarterback was rattled by the Vikings’ scheme on Sunday.
Palmer was sacked four times and tossed a pair of picks in Arizona’s loss. He was dropped twice on the final drive with a chance to pull out a victory. The offensive line has been hit with injuries with two reserves – John Wetzel and Earl Watford – moved into starting roles. The Cards also lost Mike Iupati briefly with an ankle injury before he returned later in the game. Pass protection has been an ongoing issue for the Cardinals as they have allowed the third-most sacks in the league with 31.
Free ATS Pick
The Cardinals were supposed to be the cream of the NFC crop this season. They were supposed to be contending for a Super Bowl berth after coming so close last season. But this isn’t last year and the Cardinals have never gotten on track. The slow start to the season, which actually started in the preseason, has morphed into an awful year that likely has Arizona missing out on the postseason altogether. That doesn’t mean they’re giving up and while there’s still a chance at the playoffs, you know Bruce Arians will get his team motivated.
The Falcons have the offense many thought the Cardinals would display and it’s lifted Atlanta to the top of the NFC South standings. But the Falcons still have issues on defense and the Cards need to find a way to exploit that. Many of Arizona’s problems have been, according to Arians, self-inflicted and not a product of anything opponents are doing. But you’d think by this time those issues would be ironed out, and they haven’t been. The Falcons had two weeks to stew over a bad outing against Philadelphia, and getting some people healthy will be huge for them. The Cards will score points, but so will Atlanta in a game that will easily surpass the total.
NFL Odds: Falcons 30, Cardinals 28
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