Cardinals Try to Desperately Hang on to Division Lead vs. Seahawks

By Charles Jay

Let’s face it – very few people thought that the Arizona Cardinals would have already clinched a playoff spot and been the first-place team in the NFC West at this stage of the season, especially as they had to dip into their bench for a second-string quarterback. And if they wind up being division champions, it will be even more unlikely, as they now have to go with the third-stringer. Because of injuries, Ryan Lindley will be getting the start, although BetAnySports patrons know the timing isn’t great, as he has to go up against the Seattle Seahawks, who have simply been snuffing out enemy offenses. The Cardinals will have to try and beat the NFL betting odds at home in this game that kicks off at 8:30 PM ET at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, to be televised live on NBC.

Drew Stanton got injured last week, and like Carson Palmer, he is out for the duration. That leaves Lindley, the former San Diego State quarterback who came in under toughest circumstances last week against St. Louis and completed four out of his 10 passes. The Cardinals will also have a package prepared for rookie quarterback Logan Thomas, but this assignment is extremely rough.

Seattle has not only won four games in a row, the Seahawks have held opponents to just 27 points over that stretch. Last week it was a 17-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, as Seattle ruined San Francisco’s playoff chances and probably spelled the end for tanking coach Jim Harbaugh, at least in his current job. Arizona is 11-3 straight-up, with a sizzling point spread record of 10-4. Seattle is a game behind, at 10-4, and the Seahawks are 8-6 ATS.

Bet on NFL!

In the NFL betting odds established on this game by the people at BetAnySports, Seattle is a pretty sizable favorite on the road against the division leader:

Seattle Seahawks -7.5
Arizona Cardinals +7.5

Over 37 points -110
Under 37 points -110

Lindley has been a starter before; just two seasons ago he started four games for Arizona as injuries hit the team hard. He did not throw a touchdown pass, but did chalk up seven interceptions. That is not something that inspires a lot of confidence in football bettors who are considering the Arizona side. It is amazing that Bruce Arians has managed to keep everything together, despite all the injuries that have taken place with this team. Regardless of what happens from this point forward, he most certainly deserves the coach of the year award. Andre Ellington, a running back, is not available, but interestingly enough, the recent pickup, Kerwynn Williams, has given the Cards better work out of the backfield than they have had all season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Larry Fitzgerald will be in the lineup this time around, which he was not in the previous meeting, which took place a month ago in Seattle, as the Seahawks held the Cardinals to just 204 total yards in the 19-3 victory.

BetAnySports customers have to keep in mind that Arizona is a perfect 7-0 straight-up at home, and that with 18 interceptions and 33 quarterback sacks, they can still wreak some havoc. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has done a great job of cutting down on turnovers (only six interceptions), but he is not always the most consistent passer, so the running game, led by Marshawn Lynch, is going to be important. We will see how Arizona, which allows just 3.8 yards per carry, handles that.

Obviously no one should discount the possibility of a very low-scoring game. Seattle has permitted only 4.8 yards per play on the part of opponents, and Arizona has yielded the second-fewest points per drive in the league this season. What they really need to do is to put together enough offensive drives of their own that move the chains, so that the defense does not have to spend excessive time on the field.

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