The Lions currently sit at the bottom of the NFC North and the Cardinals sit at the bottom of the NFC West. These two teams look to crawl out of the basement with a victory in this matchup. The Lions could overtake the packers and move up a spot, pending the Packers lose as well. The Cards looked capable of pulling it off as they have already defeated the Packers in last week’s contest. If you don’t remember the game, it is the reason Mike McCarthy was let go in Green Bay. To give the Cardinals credit though, they won that game because of their effort.
Lions vs. Cardinals Odds
The spread is a close one for this game. At just a 2.5 point favorite, the Lions come in on the road to Phoenix and look to take the win. The Cardinals will do everything they can to stop that from happening. Vegas must think this is close to a toss up or the Lions would get a bigger nod. I wouldn’t be surprised if last week’s victory over the Packers will help elevate this Cardinal team and make more of their final games competitive.
Spread: Lions -2.5
Total: 41.5
Lions vs. Cardinals Head to Head
The two teams met just last year. The game ended up in favor of the Lions by a score of 35 – 23. Before that, they hadn’t seen one another since 2015. That game ended with Arizona on top by a score of 42 – 17. Before that, they saw each other in 2014 in a tough defensive battle ending in a 14 – 6 victory for the Cardinals.
Lions vs. Cardinals Stats
The Cardinals offense is nothing to get too excited about, by far the worst in the league in terms of output. They currently are dead last in the league in combined performance, and last in the league in passing, while second to last in the league in rushing yards produced. Their defense is slightly below average though at 17th best in the league. I suppose you could call that their strength then? The Lions are better in most categories, but that isn’t really saying much is it? Every team in the league is better offensively than the Cardinals. The Lions come in ranked 23rd overall in terms of yardage produced. This is helped by a 17th ranking in passing yards. Their running game has struggled to materialize, coming in at 25th in the league. Their defense is a bit improved from seasons past, at a modest 15th best in the league.
Lions vs. Cardinals News
Again, the news here is about the cardinals and their ability to overcome the Packers last week. It’s got to be great for a young quarterback’s confidence to beat Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, much of the news is surrounding the Packers and their decision to fire Mike McCarthy after losing to a team that is last in the league in offensive production. The Lions are still trying to figure it out under first year head coach, Matt Patricia. He has helped their defensive unit, but the offense is still struggling, something offensive coordinator, Jim Bob Cooter, will have to change if they look to improve their record in the coming weeks.
Lions vs. Cardinals Predictions
I think the Cardinals will bounce back motivated and hopeful after defeating the Packers. I’ll take them to win it at home against the Lions by a score of 20 – 17 at home. A young, fearless quarterback with a bit of momentum and nothing to lose can be a very dangerous thing. If Josh Rosen can avoid throwing costly interceptions, I think he can do some damage here in this one.
