Arguably, preseason NFL betting is at its best in the third week. At this point, we get a strong idea of who will play, how much they’ll play and how they’ve played over the last two weeks. Come the fourth preseason game, the starters get to rest and the sports betting system gets scrambled. Time to place a bet on the Packers and Cardinals at the peak time.
Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals
Friday, August 28, 10:00 p.m. ET
University of Phoenix Stadium
Online betting favorite: Cardinals -3.5
I know you’re not supposed to place too much stock into preseason efforts, but the Packers sure look impressive thus far. Aaron Rodgers seems poised to cement himself among the league’s elite signal callers with another banner season. Ryan Grant looks more explosive and the O-line is opening up more holes than before.
I wouldn’t bet that the Arizona offense will struggle once the regulars season starts, but it’s definitely out of sync so far. Kurt Warner has battled hip pain but the running game may be the real problem indirectly hurting the aerial attack. Chris Wells has been banged up, unable to establish himself as a threat to start and unable to push Tim Hightower to work harder.
We know the Cardinals’ defense is mediocre at best; we also know the Packers “D” struggled last season but has plenty of good playmakers. Under its new 3-4 scheme, it looks very strong, having shut down the Bills last week. If the Cards keep playing as they have with the ball over the first two weeks, the Pack could seriously hurt them.
The Cards haven’t shown any reason to warrant a pick and won’t give you a proper return on the price per head. Pick the Packers.
Pick: Packers +3.5
