NFL Divisional Weekend Betting – Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints

Saturday, January 16th – 4:30 pm EST

Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

NFL Point Spread: New Orleans -7, O/U 57 

Last week Arizona Cardinals won what was perhaps the most entertaining Wild Card game in NFL history. Kurt Warner ended up throwing more touchdowns (5) than incompletions (4) in the Cardinals 51-45 overtime win over Green Bay. The lost story is the fact that the Arizona defense allowed 45 points and now has to face the Saints in the Superdome. But sometimes it’s not how you play but how you finish. The Cardinals defense finished that game with fumble recovery in overtime. That sort of ending can bring loads of confidence to a unit.  

The New Orleans Saints may be in more trouble than people think. Not only did they lose their last three games of the season, but they hardly inspired confidence in their wins against Atlanta and Washington in the weeks prior. The offense, which hadn’t scored less than 26 points during their 13-0 start, could not score more than 17 in their three losses. Still, the Saints were literally unbeatable for the first 13 games of the season, and their offensive attack must be respected.  

What The Cardinals Have To Do To Win

Everyone knows the Cardinals can pass, and the Saints defense will expect a lot of that on Saturday. Arizona’s wildcard is their running game. The Cards rushed for 156 yards against a Green Bay defense that was ranked first in the league in rush defense. Now they’re facing a New Orleans team that’s ranked 21st.

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Beanie Wells, the rookie running back from Ohio State, has given the Cardinals the big play athlete in the backfield they’ve been lacking for years. Their balanced offensive attack can outscore anyone. Their defense, although feeling confident after winning the game against the Packers, probably can’t stop an offense as potent as New Orleans.  

What The Saints Have To Do To Win

The Saints are not going to win this on defense, regardless of how much improvement they show. Luckily for Drew Brees and company, the Cardinals pass defense isn’t all that great. They were torched for 45 points last week, and Brees is a better passer than Aaron Rodgers. Of course their defense will play an important role, but the Saints should focus more on outscoring Arizona instead of trying to stop them. For a team that boasts Marques Colston, Reggie Bush and Robert Meachum, scoring points against a suspect pass defense won’t be too hard of a task.  

Outlook & Pick

I don’t want to meet the person who bets the under in this game. There’s a chance that one team will be able to cover the over/under by itself. Both teams have an incredible amount of offensive weapons; whoever can utilize them they most efficiently will come out on top. When teams are evenly matched, the tiebreaker usually goes to the home team.

Some of the mystique of the Superdome vanished when Dallas ended New Orleans perfect season in the ‘dome in Week 15. With that loss, the rest of the NFL saw that the Saints can be beaten in Louisiana. That took away a huge edge for the Saints, something the Cardinals aren’t very upset about.  

NFL Point Spread Pick: Arizona -7 & over 57 
  
NFL Prop Betting: Team To Score First And Score In First 5.5 Minutes

There may not be a defensive stop all game. Neither defense is good enough to stop either offense. The team that scores first will most likely be the team that receives first. Since Arizona will be calling the coin toss, I’ll say they win it and score first.  

Prop Betting Pick: Arizona Will Score First, Score In First 5.5 Minutes