Packers and Aaron Rodgers visit the undefeated Cardinals and Kyle Murray in the opening of the Week 8, Thursday Night Football action.
If we are asked, this is should be by far the most exiting game in the league so far, in which two now contenders battle against each other in the desert.
The Cardinals opened as 3.5-point favorites, but after Packers wide receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard were ruled out and news broke that defense coordinator Joe Barry is also set to miss the game, the spread has jumped up to Cardinals -6.5.
Green Bay (6-1) hasn’t lost since a bad performance against New Orleans in Jacksonville in Week 1, but it will be without quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target. Davante Adams won’t play after landing on the COVID-19 list, and fellow wide receiver Allen Lazard, coming on of late, also won’t be cleared.
The Cardinals (7-0) also come in banged up with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) and J.J. Watt (shoulder) fighting through short-week injuries following the Week 7 rout of their former team, the Texans. But Kyler Murray (right finger) will be at full strength to duel Rodgers.
The Packers have won six straight and will face a Cardinals team riding a seven-game win streak. This is the first matchup between teams with a winning streak of at least six games since Nov. 4, 2018, when the New Orleans Saints defeated the Los Angeles Rams. Rodgers has been a key part of the Packers’ success. He’s tossed at least two touchdown passes in each of his last six games. Rodgers has averaged 294.5 passing yards per game and thrown 16 touchdown passes against just one interception in those games.
Green Bay defense has been on a superb constant level during the streak and they failed only in their week 1 loss against 38-3. Since then the defense is solid and even more constant then the offense. The offense started good but last few rounds they didnt had the strength they had before.
However this should be a key point here, despite the awesome 100% team of the Cardinals, they havent faced a contender yet and this is their first great encounter. Cardinals will be a serious contender and even a major favorite but only if they win here tonight.
Being a touchdown favorite is not fair for the Packers and this is where we will play against the public. Our recommendation is on the Packers.
Prediction: Green Bay Packers +6.5