The Thursday night showdown between the 7-0 Arizona Cardinals and 6-1 Green Bay Packers lost some luster this week with COVID-19 hitting the Packers wide receiving unit. However, both teams are leading their divisions and have put themselves in a position to contend for the NFC title.
Kickoff at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is set for 8:15 p.m. ET Thursday night and will be televised on FOX and NFL Network.
The Cardinals are surprisingly one of the few teams that Aaron Rodgers hasn’t solved in his career, going 2-5 against Arizona, including a 0-2 playoff mark. This will be the first time the Cardinals have faced the Packers with these two head coaches in position. The last time they played, the Cardinals won 20-17 in December 2018, and Mike McCarthy was fired after the game.
Rodgers Missing Weapons On Trip
The Packers will be without superstar wide receiver Davante Adams, and No. 2 receiver Allen Lazard as both are on the COVID-19 list. The Packers are 6-0 over the last two seasons without Davante Adams in the lineup, but this is the first game Rodgers has played without Adams, tackle David Bakhtiari, or former wideout James Jones since his rookie season of 2008.
Green Bay could get deep threat Marquez Valdez-Scantling back from a hamstring injury as he traveled with the team and is eligible to come off IR. Otherwise, look for Rodgers to lean on veteran Randall Cobb, running back Aaron Jones, and tight end Bob Tonyan in the passing game. Jones has 26 receptions and four receiving touchdowns on the season, while Cobb and Tonyan have two scores each while combining for 29 catches.
Jones has rushed for 404 yards on the season with a 4.5 yards per carry average. AJ Dillon has contributed 231 yards with a 4.4 average and two touchdowns and could be a big factor if the Packers turn to the run game.
The Packers’ defense is coming off their best game of the season with an interception, fumble recovery, and four sacks against Washington. They also kept WFT from scoring on five trips inside the 30-yard line, including two in goal-to-go situations.
Cardinals Offense in Sync
Through seven games, the Cardinals offense is averaging 32.1 points per game and 423.6 yards per game.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is an early MVP candidate as he ranks fifth in yards (2,002), fourth in touchdown passes (17), and fourth in completion percentage (65.0). He has also rushed for three touchdowns while accumulating 126 yards on the ground.
His top target on the season has been Deandre Hopkins, who has 33 catches for 420 yards and seven touchdowns. Christian Kirk has 30 catches for 408 yards and four scores, while A.J. Green looks rejuvenated with 24 catches for 406 yards and three touchdowns.
Arizona has split the run game between Chase Edmonds and newcomer James Conner. Edmonds has 397 yards but no touchdowns, while Conner has six scores to go with 338 yards.
The Arizona defense has 19 sacks in seven games and six interceptions. They will be without J.J. Watt on Thursday, but Markus Golden has six sacks, and Chandler Jones has five on the season.
Betting Analysis
- Green Bay Packers +6.5 (-115). Money Line +220
- Arizona Cardinals -6.5 (-105) Money Line -275
- Total Points: 50 (Over -115, Under -105)
This game will be a big challenge for Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur to come up with a game plan to keep up with Arizona despite not having Adams and Lazard. The Cardinals have scored at least 31 points in six of their seven games and have allowed more than 20 just one time. Both teams are 6-1 ATS this season, but the under is surprisingly 9-5 in their combined 14 games.
Betting Pick: Under 50 points (-105)
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