Cardinals vs Saints NFL Handicapping
The New Orleans Saints got their coach back and were hoping to fly out of the gates this season. A couple hard fought wins inside the division will have to do, and they now get a tough Arizona Cardinals team that is looking to get a second win themselves.
Arizona Cardinals (1-1) at New Orleans Saints (2-0)
Date: Sunday, September 22, 2013
Time: 4:00 PM ET
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
City: New Orleans, Louisiana
O/U Odds: 48.5
Spread: New Orleans -7
Money Line: New Orleans -345, Arizona +290
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Sean Payton and the Saints would have liked to have built up a wider margin of victory in each of their first two games to make a statement, but there’s no reason to complain about a couple of wins inside the division.
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Drew Brees didn’t have an overly impressive day, but he and the offense moved the ball when they had to against Tampa Bay, including setting up the game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter. Brees was 26 of 46 for 322 yards in the game. Brees has now thrown for 300 yards or more in seven consecutive games. Jimmy Graham was his favorite target, hauling in 10 balls for 179 yards. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Saints defense just could not stop the run, allowing Doug Martin to rush for 144 yards on 29 carries. They did stop Josh Freeman though, limiting him to just nine completions on 22 pass attempts, gaining only 125 yards through the air. They did get lucky on another play, as an illegal formation penalty wiped out a 73-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson.
The Cardinals are coming off a big win of their own, holding off the Lions in a 25-21 win. The key play of the game came late on a pass interference call that set up the Cardinals deep in Lions territory, and only a couple plays later, Rashard Mendenhall punched the ball into the endzone from a yard out. Larry Fitzgerald missed time late in the game due to a hamstring injury, and his status for this game is uncertain.
The Cardinal defense allowed Calvin Johnson to haul in a pair of scores, but got stops when they needed to. Matthew Stafford completed 24 of 36 passes for 278 yards and a pair of scores. The unit was great against the run, limiting the Lions to just 49 yards on 20 carries. A late 10-play, 92-yard touchdown drive by the Lions will haunt the Cardinals nightmares all week.
The Saints haven’t been able to build up a margin in any of their first three games of the season. Now they face a tough, underrated Cardinals team that will offer up a stern test. Expect Carson Palmer and the Cardinal offense to find some success through the air in this one, while Rashard Mendenhall makes some big plays on the ground against a soft New Orleans rush defense.
The Cardinals are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.
The play: Arizona +7
