San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals preview, predictions, betting odds, live stream info
By Cory Buck
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
The San Francisco 49ers visit the Arizona Cardinals for their first of two divisional clashes at Arizona for NFL Week 3 action. The Cardinals have jumped out to a 2-0 start to take an early lead in arguably the toughest division in football. The 49ers meanwhile come off a tough home loss to the Chicago Bears that saw the team squander a 13-point 4th quarter lead. The games don’t count any less in Week 3 than they will in Week 17, when these two teams play their second game. If either wants to assert themselves in what will be a brutal divisional race, this is the week to do it.
Details for Sunday’s game are below:
Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014
Start Time: 4PM EST
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium
TV Info: FOX
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket | NFL Game Rewind (after the game)
Radio: NFL Radio
Ticket Information: For San Francisco 49ers, click here. For Arizona Cardinals, click here.
Keys to Victory
The key for both teams will be ball protection. Colin Kaepernick produced four turnovers in a back-breaking performance against the Bears in which the Niners blew a big halftime lead. Carson Palmer meanwhile had 22 interceptions last season and must avoid his first for this season as he can expect to get precious little from the San Francisco defense.
Turnovers aside, the Cardinals must find a way to get Andre Ellington going in the running game against a stout 49er front seven. The Niners meanwhile must get more from their secondary receiving. Outside of Michael Crabtree, no one on their offense had more than three receptions in Week 2.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: San Francisco -2.5
Moneyline: San Francisco -110
Over/Under: 42.5
Prediction
This will largely depend on the status of Carson Palmer. If he plays, the Cardinals have a good shot of winning this game. Without Palmer though, the team might not be able to stretch the field enough for the rest of its offense to rack up enough points. The 49ers still have some issues to work as a team, most of them related to how many roster players are missing due to injury or suspension, but it’s hard to pick against the team that’s won nine of the last ten games between these two.
Final Score: 49ers 24 Cardinals 21