Cardinals at the Steelers, NFL football Betting Pick
Arizona @ Pittsburgh nfl betting Pick and Preview
If this match up seems familiar, it is because it should. The Cardinals served as the 2009 NFL Playoff's version of Cinderella, upsetting Carolina and Philadelphia before losing 27-23 to the Steelers in the Super Bowl. On Sunday, former Pittsburgh assistant Ken Whisenhunt will attempt to get the best of the Super Bowl champions when he leads Arizona to Heinz Field as 3 point underdogs.
The Cardinals boast positional battles at both quarterback (Matt Leinart vs. Kurt Warner) and running back (Chris “Beanie” Wells vs. Tim Hightower), but for now, Warner and Hightower seem likely to occupy the starter roles. Warner will again have the services of two of the top receivers in the NFL in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, who combined for 185 receptions, 2,469 yards and 23 touchdowns as easily the league’s top receiving pair. Arizona's 9-7 record against the spread last season mirrored their 9-7 overall record, while Pittsburgh struggled to cover the spread a bit more. Despite a 12-4 record straight up, the Steelers finished 9-7 against the spread.
Pittsburgh did not change much from last season's team, though they do lose star linebacker Larry Foote. Still, the Steelers return 10 defensive starters, maintaining their traditional dominant and aggressive defense headlined by James Farrior, James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, the team’s three Pro Bowl representatives last season. However, their lack of stars on offense may cause another season of yawns. Expect more low scoring and defense dominated games, similar to the production that last season's 20th ranked offense scoring offense provided. Running back “Fast” Willie Parker rejoins the team as the starter after being sidelined for much of 2008 with a broken leg. Behind him are two capable backs in Mewelde Moore and second year rusher Rashard Mendenhall.
Our NFL football betting pick for this game is the Steelers -3.
