Divisional Round Saturday comes to an end with the the diciest match-up of the weekend. The Green Bay Packers (11-6) travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals (13-3) with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line.
Scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for preview information.
First here’s my prediction from The FAQ.
Green Bay at Arizona (-7)
The Cardinals (13-3) entered the final week of the regular season as a Super Bowl favorite. They promptly got their ass handed to them by the Seattle Seahawks. The Packers (11-6) entered the playoffs on a two-game losing streak of their own, even missing out on an AFC North title in the final week of the season. They easily had the best offensive and defensive performance of the wild card round. For some reason, neither of these team’s final games is factoring into this line or most pundits’ picks.
When you look across the picks landscape, I’d imagine the Cardinals are an overwhelming favorite. Three weeks ago this same Cards team beat the hell out of the Packers, humiliating them 38-8. People look back at that and think what’s different here 20 days later?
A lot. Aaron Rodgers came to life last Sunday and the Green Bay offense looked like it was supposed to for the final three quarters of their walk-away win over the Redskins. With the offense rolling, the defense became a sack and turnover-forcing machine. And here’s the fact that no one is talking about, Carson Palmer has never really played in a playoff game. Sure, he started one for the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2009, but he was knocked out of it immediately with a torn ACL. He’s never made another playoff start. Palmer is having the best season of his life, but is he really the guy to take out a hot Aaron Rodgers? I say no. Packers 27, Cardinals 23
And here’s our GMS Preview.
A trip to the NFC Championship Game is at stake when the Green Bay Packers travel to University of Phoenix Stadium to play the Arizona Cardinals. The NFL’s fourth-leading passer, Carson Palmer (4,671 yards, 35 TDs), will be on display in this matchup. It will begin Saturday, Jan 16 at 8:15 p.m. ET and can be seen on NBC.
Arizona lost big to the Seahawks 36-6 in its last game. Deone Bucannon led the Arizona defense in the loss, registering seven tackles. Green Bay Packers beat the Redskins 35-18. Mike Neal led the way for the Green Bay defense, totaling three tackles and two sacks.
Arizona is a considerable seven-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 50 points.
Heading into Week 19 of league action, the Cardinals are 13-3 Straight Up (SU) and 9-7 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last five games, the Cardinals have records of 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. They rank fifth in the league with 28.4 points per game at home. The Cardinals offense is averaging 404.6 yards per contest over their last five games. Turning to the Cardinals defense, a few key spots could be deciding factors this week. The Packers may run into some problems against the Cardinals home pass defense, which ranks fourth and gives up 209.1 passing yards per game in its own stadium. One of the keys to the game will be if the Packers can protect the quarterback against Arizona’s aggressive pass rush. The defense ranks fourth in the league in sacks with 3.1 per home game. The Cardinals score at a high rate in the second quarter. Arizona averages 9.6 points during that period, one of the highest marks in the league. Don’t expect many blunders or oversights from Arizona that could cost them the game. The Cardinals are the least penalized team in the NFL, averaging 47 penalty yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Green Bay Packers have a record of 9-7 ATS and 10-6 SU. In the previous five games, Green Bay has a record of 3-2 for both SU and ATS as well. The Green Bay pass defense has given teams issues during the past five games. During that time, opponents have gained an average of 194.4 passing yards against this scary group.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
The game is on NBC. Let’s watch somebody’s season end in tears and heartbreak together.
