 |
vs.
|
 |
ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-1) vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (0-2)
When: Sunday, September 25, 4:15 PM ET
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Broadcast: FOX
Spread: Cardinals -3
Moneyline: Cardinals -190, Seahawks +165
Total: 43 points
The Seattle Seahawks will play their home opener on Sunday when they welcome a revamped Arizona Cardinals team that they had success against last season – sweeping the two matchups. Seattle is in desperate need of something good to happen. Home field advantage and the impending return of Sidney Rice to the lineup may be that something. There is a strange sense of optimism in the Pacific Northwest even though they have looked anything but competitive in their two games so far this season.
Click Here for more Free Expert NFL Football Picks
Arizona is a different team than the one that took to the field last year – the addition of Kevin Kolb seems on the surface to have cured what ailed this team for the better part of two seasons. Kolb has been solid this season passing for 560 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. His presence has sparked the running game as well – Beanie Wells has exceeded expectations so far with 182 yards and two scores of his own. The presence of Larry Fitzgerald makes the Cardinals a legitimate, suddenly well balanced team.
Seattle offense has been virtually invisible this season – just 383 total yards in the two games that they have played so far. Tavaris Jackson has been brutal but his numbers should improve if the reports on Sidney Rice’s availability this weekend are true. The running game has to be better too – just and average of 47.5 yards per game so far. The Offensive Line started the season dinged up and now comes news of Robert Gallery missing 4-6 weeks because of a groin injury – not a good sign for a Line that has allowed 10 sacks in two games and has been terrible at opening holes for its running backs.
Arizona’s defense appears to be its Achilles heel so far this season. They are 29th in the NFL in total defense allowing a staggering 466 yards per game – 343 through the air. The Cardinals have made Cam Newton and Rex Grossman look like All-Stars and the Hawks hope that they are as generous to Tavaris Jackson.
Seattle’s defense has been good this season – 10th in overall defense (313 yards per game) and 5th against the run (3.1 yards per carry). All of this coming against Frank Gore and Rashard Mendenhall. It is clear that defense certainly isn’t the issue in Seattle.
Betting Outlook: Seattle is a brutal road team but is very competitive in their home park. They are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 at home. However, the Hawks are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall. Arizona struggles against the NFL West – 0-5 ATS in their last five against NFC West foes. They also struggle ATS as favorites – just 3-7 in their last 10 games. The home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings between the two clubs.
Seattle has given zero reason to believe that they can win a game so far this season. But at home, against a vulnerable defense, the Hawks have a legitimate chance of winning. Let’s assume that Seattle has already hit rock bottom! The home crowd and the surprising defense will raise the Hawks on Sunday to their first win on Sunday.
The odds makers have the Arizona Cardinals a -3 point favorite with an over/under of 43.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks +3
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
Arizona Cardinals Betting Trends:
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona’s last 6 games
- Arizona is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona’s last 6 games on the road
- Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Seattle Seahawks Betting Trends:
- Seattle is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 11 of Seattle’s last 13 games
- Seattle is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
- Seattle is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.