Steelers Cardinals Betting – Steelers Look To Parlay Momentum Against Struggling Cardinals In Super Bowl XLIII Rematch
When the Arizona Cardinals traded for Kevin Kolb in the offseason, there was a strong sense that he would be the missing piece that would help the franchise become a contender in the NFC once again. But after opening the year with just one win through five games the Cardinals find themselves at the bottom looking up again, and it won’t get any easier coming off of a bye week with a visit from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Arizona Cardinals
Sunday October 23, 2011 – 4:05 PM ET
University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix, Arizona
NFL Betting Lines: Pittsburgh Steelers – 3.5
The defending AFC champions experienced somewhat of a slow start themselves with a .500 record through four games, but after consecutive wins against AFC South opponents the Steelers have climbed back into contention. Pittsburgh has a tough schedule with visits from the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens in consecutive weeks following their trip to Arizona, making it that much more important for them to keep their momentum going this Sunday.
NFL Betting Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers
A close win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football didn’t inspire much confidence, and when the Steelers followed that up with a loss to the Houston Texans, there were many that felt the Super Bowl hangover had caught up to this team. Pittsburgh has bounced back with a couple of victories, but in order to prove that theory wrong they will need to win on the road. The Steelers’ defense ranks first in the NFL against the pass with an average of just 157.7 yards against per game, and with Arizona struggling to move the ball on the ground this sports betting contest could come down to how well Ben Roethlisberger and the offense can move the ball without turning it over. Roethlisberger has thrown for eight touchdowns and just two interceptions through four wins, compared to one touchdown and four interceptions in two losses.
NFL Betting Preview: Arizona Cardinals
While the Steelers have turned the ball over a ton, Arizona has ranked near the bottom of the NFL in terms of forcing turnovers, and with a defense that ranks 20th against both the run and pass they simply have to make more plays. The Cardinals have allowed at least 31 points in each of their past two losses compared to an average of just 19 points, and will need to find a way to get going on offense if they are going to win games. A big part of that comes down to the play of Kolb, who has completed less than 60-percent of his passes and thrown five touchdowns compared to six interceptions, which simply shouldn’t happen when Larry Fitzgerald is running routes on your offense.
NFL Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
More than anything else, the Cardinals are lacking an identity as a team that was expected to be much better on offense but simply does not have the weapons to put up big enough numbers to make up for their shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball. The Steelers will enter one of the toughest period of their schedule following this trip to the desert, and they will want to make sure they are firing on all bet football online cylinders before returning home.
NFL Betting Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
