NFL Point Spread Betting - Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

Sunday, November 8th – 1PM ET
Soldier Field – Chicago, IL

NFL Point Spread: Bears -3, O/U: 44.5 

Two 4-3 teams still in search of consistency meet this Sunday in Chicago. Both the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears had three-game winning streaks earlier in the season, but have cooled off since then. Chicago, once 3-1, fell to 3-3 before waxing Cleveland, 30-6, on Nov. 1.

Quarterback Jay Cutler’s performance was hardly inspiring – the Bears’ signal caller completed just over 50 percent of his passes and threw an interception. But against the anemic Browns, mediocre quarterbacking is more than good enough to win.

Arizona stood at 4-2 and hoped to take complete control of the NFC West, but a five-interception outing from quarterback Kurt Warner doomed the Cards in a 34-21 home loss to lowly Carolina.  

NFL Handicapping: What The Cardinals Have To Do To Win 

Arizona must rediscover the long ball. Star receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who showed America his best stuff during the Cards’ run to Super Bowl XLIII last winter, has been held in check by opposing defenses this season. Fitzgerald, a tremendous force as a high-leaping receiver who can win jump balls against double-teams, hasn’t caught a pass beyond 27 yards this season. That’s a stunning statistic, and it does much to explain the inconsistency of the Cards’ offense.

NFL opponents make adjustments quickly from season to season – they have unlimited practice time, unlike college teams – and in 2009, it’s clear that teams are taking away the deep ball from Kurt Warner.

Arizona has to run the ball effectively, and then go for big plays when defenses might not be expecting a long pass. If Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s crew can once again hit 40- and 50-yard plays, Warner and Fitzgerald will regain their 2008 magic, and the Bears will be in a whole heap of trouble.  

NFL Handicapping: What The Bears Have To Do To Win 

Every Bears game could be prefaced this way, but why run from the simple truth when it’s staring you in the face? Jay Cutler needs to make smart decisions in attacking an opposing secondary. Arizona’s back line of defense boasts safety Antrel Rolle and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who both have three interceptions on the season.

Cutler is a notoriously impatient quarterback, a riverboat gambler who can make dazzling throws on occasion, but who trusts his rifle arm so completely that he often forces balls into very tight windows. Rodgers-Cromartie made life hell for New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning a few weeks ago on Sunday Night Football, so Cutler will be throwing against one of the better cover corners in the league.

If Cutler can scan the whole field and not lock his eyes onto his primary receiver, the Bears can find a measure of success against Arizona. However, if Chicago’s up-and-down signal caller doesn’t do a better job of dividing the field into sections, the Cardinals will eat him up. 

NFL Handicapping: Outlook & Pick