Cardinals vs. Falcons Pick
The Atlanta Falcons are not only looking for their first victory of the season, but also their first touchdown. They’ll host the Arizona Cardinals at 1:00PM ET on Sunday.
Bet Cardinals vs. Falcons Odds
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Falcons 6.5-point favorites over the Cardinals in Week 2. The over/under total is currently sitting at 43 for this game.
The Cardinals Win If:
To some extent, do exactly what they did last week – force turnovers and keep the game close until the fourth quarter before capitalizing in the fourth quarter. This is obviously a different Arizona offense without Kurt Warner and that means this Cardinals team is going to have to be more opportunistic then it was the last two years. ‘Zona forced four turnovers in a 17-13 win over the Rams in St. Louis last week and they’re going to have to do that again this Sunday against a tough Atlanta team looking for its first win. Of course, the Cards can’t turn the ball over themselves. They lost four fumbles last week and still held the Rams to 13 total points. That shouldn’t expect the same results this week, however, because the Falcons will make them pay. They also can’t commit 12 penalties and expect to win either.
The Falcons Win If:
They shake the cobwebs off their offense. Atlanta’s first-team offense was shaky in preseason and was shaky last week in Pittsburgh. Despite having Roddy White, Michael Turner, Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez on that side of the ball, this is an offense lacking explosion right now. They need to strike for more big plays when the opportunity presents itself, or else they’re going to leave an inferior Arizona team in the game. And considering Matt Bryant is their kicker, the Falcons don’t want to get into a tight game and need a field goal to win it late. They need to be able to get up on this team and put their foot on the Cardinals’ throats. More is expected out of Ryan, Turner and Gonzalez this week.
Prediction:
That was an ugly win for the Cardinals last Sunday and again, they’re not going to be able to get away with some of the mistakes they made this week. The Falcons are a much better football team than the Rams obviously, so expect them to cash in on their opportunities. That said, until Atlanta’s offense can prove that they can get unhinged, the under is the play here. Forty-three points is too many when you consider the Falcons scored 9 points last week and the Cards could only muster 17 against a bad Rams’ defense. I like the Falcons, but I like the under more.
2010 NFL Week 2 Free Pick: ARIZONA CARDINALS/ATLANTA FALCONS UNDER 43
BONUS PICK: ATLANTA FALCONS –6.5
Bet Cardinals vs. Falcons Odds