The Arizona Cardinals (10-2) will put their six-game winning streak on the line when they take on the Minnesota Vikings (8-4) this week. The NFL’s third-leading passer, Carson Palmer (3,693 yards, 29 TDs), and leading rusher, Adrian Peterson (1,182 yards, 8 TDs), will play an integral role in the outcome of this game. It will air Thursday, Dec 10 at 8:25 p.m. ET on NFLN.
In last week’s game, Arizona dominated the Rams 27-3. David Johnson had a good performance running the ball in the victory, dashing 22 times for 99 yards. Carson Palmer had a great game as well, adding 356 yards and two TDs through the air. Minnesota is hoping for a different outcome after struggling mightily against the Seahawks 38-7. Brian Robison led the defensive effort for Minnesota, recording three tackles and two sacks.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 45 points and the Vikings are a big seven-point underdog.
Sitting at 10-2 Straight Up (SU) and 7-5 Against The Spread (ATS), the Cardinals will look to improve heading into Week 14. In their five most recent matchups, the Cardinals went 5-0 SU and 3-2 ATS. Arizona’s offense is averaging 437.2 total yards over the last five games. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. Arizona’s defensive backs could have an edge on the Vikings and their struggling pass game. Minnesota averages 179.1 yards per game through the air, ranking 31st in the NFL. In the second quarter, Arizona is solid, putting up 10 points.
Across the field, the Vikings head into Week 14 with records of 9-3 ATS and 8-4 SU. Over their last five games, the Vikings have a SU and ATS record of 3-2. Odds suggest Minnesota will continue to rely on its run game, where its 154.2 rushing yards per road game ranks first in the league. Moving on to the Minnesota defense, it has some favorable matchups that it may be able to take advantage of as well. The Vikings should work for adequate ball security against the Cardinals, who rank near the bottom of the league in fumbles lost with 0.8 per game. Minnesota’s return game could play a key role in this week’s matchup. They average 112.8 return yards per game, the most in the NFL.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari, O/U – Under
Notes
Arizona is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Arizona’s last 13 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona’s last 6 games at home.
Arizona is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home.
Arizona is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota.
Arizona is 4-7-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Minnesota.
Minnesota is 5-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Arizona is 8-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Arizona is 3-2 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (5-0 SU) in games where it loses the turnover battle.
According to overall NFL pass rankings, Arizona is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its third-ranked offensive passing game will face the sixth-ranked pass defense of Minnesota, while its eighth-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 31st-ranked aerial attack of the Vikings.
Minnesota has only allowed 17.7 points per contest on the road, which ranks it fourth in the league. Arizona, however, has scored 32.0 points per game at home (ranked second overall).
