Two of the league’s early-season leaders will be on display, as Justin Forsett and the Baltimore Ravens (1-5) visit University of Phoenix Stadium to meet Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals (4-2). The game will begin Monday, Oct 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
Arizona lost to the Steelers 25-13 last week. John Brown had an outstanding performance in the loss, totaling 10 catches for 196 yards. Carson Palmer also had a big day, contributing 421 yards and a TD through the air. Baltimore came up short as well, getting beat by the 49ers 25-20. Steve Smith Sr. had a big game for the Ravens, totaling seven catches for 137 yards and one TD.
Arizona is a considerable seven-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 49 points.
The Cardinals enter the game with a current record of 4-2 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. They rank second in the league with 33.3 points per game at home. The Cardinals passing game will face below-average pass coverage. The Ravens currently rank 27th in the NFL with 286.2 passing yards allowed per game. Transitioning to the Arizona defense, there are some factors that could impact the outcome. The Ravens will be matching up against a skilled Arizona pass defense, which allowed 198.2 passing yards over their last five matchups. The Ravens need to watch out for Arizona’s fiery pass coverage, which averages the most interceptions with 1.8 per game. Arizona starts games swiftly, averaging 7.5 points in the first quarter. Arizona has only earned an average of 6.3 penalties per game on the season, making them one of the least penalized teams in the league (fourth).
As for their opponent, the Ravens have a record of 0-5-1 ATS and 1-5 SU. The Ravens try to throw often. On average, they pass 41.3 times per game. Lately, the Ravens’s rush defense has made improvements. They’re allowing only 99.6 rushing YPG over their last five matchups.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona’s last 7 games.
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games at home.
Arizona is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home.
Arizona is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Baltimore.
Baltimore is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Arizona.
Baltimore is 0-1 SU when leading at the start of the fourth quarter this season. Arizona is 4-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
When it comes to passing this season, Arizona is rated higher on both sides of the ball. Its seventh-ranked passing attack will face the 27th-ranked pass defense of Baltimore, while its ninth-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 11th-ranked passing game of the Ravens.
Baltimore has given up 25.2 points per game on the road, which is ranked only 20th in the league. Arizona has put up 33.3 points per contest at home (ranked second overall).
