11/21/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Phoenix Stadium has provided a number of warm memories for the Arizona Cardinals in 2008. The New York Giants have a fond recollection of the state-of-the-art stadium from this calendar year as well.
The Giants return to the site of their recent Super Bowl victory this Sunday, when the reigning world champions take on an Arizona squad that has yet to lose at home this season in one of the marquee matchups of the Week 12 slate.
New York's remarkable run to the Vince Lombardi Trophy ended with its dramatic 17-14 comeback win over the then-unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, held at University of Phoenix Stadium last February. The Giants haven't rested on the laurels of that historical achievement either, as Big Blue has amassed a stellar 9-1 record thus far in 2008 that stands as the top mark in the NFC at the moment.
The Cardinals aren't far off the pace in the race for the conference's top seed, thanks to wins in five of the team's last six games. At 7-3, Arizona is on the verge of capturing its first division title in 33 years and ending a postseason drought that has lasted since 1998.
Arizona currently boasts a commanding four-game lead over second-place San Francisco in an undermanned NFC West with six to play. If the Cardinals can knock off the powerful Giants on Sunday, they will seize their first division crown since winning the NFC East in 1975 if the 49ers lose at Dallas this weekend and Seattle either loses or ties its game with Washington.
The Cardinals enter this showdown between division leaders on a three-game winning streak and are a perfect 4-0 at home this year. In fact, the club has emerged victorious in eight of its last nine contests at University of Phoenix Stadium dating back to last season.
Arizona will have to deal with a significant step up in class on Sunday, however. Its three most recent wins have come at the expense of division members St. Louis, San Francisco and Seattle -- teams that are a combined 7-23 for the year.
The Giants have ripped off five straight wins since a 35-14 setback at Cleveland in Week 6, with the latest triumph coming at home against the surging Baltimore Ravens in impressive fashion. New York gutted the NFL's top- ranked rushing defense for 207 yards on the ground to pave the way for a surprisingly easy 30-10 decision.
The G-Men enter Sunday's clash averaging an NFL-best 172.7 rushing yards per game and also top the league with 292 points. Arizona, meanwhile, stands second overall in scoring (289 points), total offense (392.7 ypg) and passing offense (305.8 ypg).
SERIES HISTORY
The Giants hold a 78-41-2 lead in their all-time series with the Cardinals, which dates back to the 1926 season, including a 42-19 home romp in the most recent meeting, in Week 1 of the 2006 campaign. Arizona won the two previous matchups, including a 17-14 home victory during the 2004 campaign. The Giants are 0-2 against the Cardinals in Arizona since last winning there in 2001, though as mentioned, University of Phoenix Stadium was the site of their Super Bowl XLII triumph.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has a career record of 2-1 against Arizona, including a win while at the helm of the Jaguars in 2000. The Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt will be meeting both Coughlin and the Giants for the first time as a head coach.
WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
New York's devastating rushing attack has churned out over 200 yards in each of the last three weeks, and is averaging a league-leading 5.3 yards per carry to boot. The relentless onslaught is headed up by the massive Brandon Jacobs (879 rushing yards, 11 TD, 5 receptions), who bulldozed Baltimore for 73 yards and two scores on only 11 attempts before leaving last Sunday's tilt in the third quarter with a mild knee sprain. Early indications are that the 264- pound back will be active for this weekend, but Jacobs' load may be reduced due to the Giants' enviable backfield depth. Third-down Derrick Ward (531 rushing yards, 1 TD, 27 receptions) and second-year pro Ahmad Bradshaw (301 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 2 total TD) have both shined when called upon this year, with the latter bursting through for a late 77-yard run that helped finish off the Ravens.
Arizona has shown to be no slouch in defending the run this season, having yielded a scant 89.8 rushing yards per game (7th overall) and only 3.8 yards per attempt. The unit smothered Seattle's ground game a week ago, limiting the Seahawks to a mere 43 yards on 22 totes. The Cardinals possess one of the game's top run-stopping safeties in the hard-hitting Adrian Wilson (39 tackles, 2 INT, 2 sacks), while Karlos Dansby (70 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) and Gerald Hayes (54 tackles) give the team a pair of quality linebackers. Up front, tackle Darnell Dockett (27 tackles, 3 sacks) is an active disruptor who garnered his first Pro Bowl nod last year.
The Cards haven't been as skilled in stopping opposing quarterbacks, with the defense having surrendered a league-high 19 touchdown passes and an average of 210 passing yards per contest (16th overall). There's talent in the secondary, however, as rookie first-round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (21 tackles, 2 INT, 9 PD) picked off a pair of Matt Hasselbeck throws in last week's win over the Seahawks and Roderick Hood (29 tackles, 1 INT, 10 PD) is having a solid year at the opposite corner. Hood did leave the Seattle game early with injured ribs, though, and his status for Sunday is in question. If he's unavailable, pass rushers Travis LaBoy (27 tackles, 4 sacks) and Chike Okeafor (30 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT) will be counted on to apply consistent pressure to help ease a potentially costly loss.
New York's recent prowess at running the football has led to fewer opportunities for quarterback Eli Manning (2079 passing yards, 15 TD, 7 INT), who hasn't had a 200-yard day since a Week 5 rout over Seattle. The easygoing field general also hasn't been overly sharp lately following a terrific start to the season, and he's completed less than 60 percent of his throws in five straight games. Top wide receiver Plaxico Burress (35 receptions, 4 TD) is having a down year as well, although the 6-foot-5 target remains a dangerous weapon in red-zone situations. Tight end Kevin Boss (19 receptions, 4 TD) had a touchdown catch in three consecutive games before being held catchless last week, while slotman Steve Smith (37 receptions, 1 TD) and 13th-year veteran Amani Toomer (30 receptions, 2 TD) are steady possession types who aren't viewed as game-breakers. The Giants' sturdy offensive line has done a good job protecting Manning, who's been only sacked 12 times this year.
WHEN THE CARDINALS HAVE THE BALL
Whereas the Giants prefer to ram the ball down the enemy's throats, Arizona challenges the opposition with a prolific aerial attack that has revitalized the career of 37-year-old quarterback Kurt Warner. The one-time Giant has made a convincing case for a third career league MVP award by ranking second in the NFL in passing yards (3,155) and touchdown throws (20) entering this week, plus he's connected on an outstanding 70.9 percent of his attempts. It helps that Warner has arguably the NFL's best pass-catching duo in wide receivers Anquan Boldin (62 receptions, 792 yards, 10 TD) and Larry Fitzgerald (67 receptions, 939 yards, 6 TD) at his disposal. Boldin leads the league with 10 touchdown grabs despite missing two games following a frightening helmet-to- helmet collision in late September, while Fitzgerald is fresh off a 10-catch, 151-yard effort against the Seahawks. Sophomore Steve Breaston (48 receptions, 642 yards, 1 TD) has emerged as an excellent No. 3 receiver and is another reason why Warner has thrown for at least 328 yards in four consecutive weeks.
Warner figures to be tested by a Giants defense that is permitting only 174.8 yards per game through the air, the second-lowest mark in the league, and is extremely proficient at harassing the passer. Ends Justin Tuck (41 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 1 INT) and Mathias Kiwanuka (30 tackles, 6.5 sacks) have been terrorizing opposing quarterbacks all season long, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo loves to bring heat from all angles with a flurry of blitz schemes. Cornerbacks Corey Webster (30 tackles, 3 INT, 15 PD) and Aaron Ross (42 tackles, 2 INT, 6 PD) will be put in charge of trying to slow down Boldin and Fitzgerald, but Ross should have some added confidence after recording two interceptions and running one back for a score in the Baltimore game. New York is expected to have nickel back Kevin Dockery (26 tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD) in uniform this week after sitting out the last three tilts with a fracture in his lower back. That's good news, since Ross may not be at 100 percent on Sunday after tweaking his hamstring against the Ravens.
While the Cardinals can be nearly unstoppable when they air it out, the team's running game leaves much to be desired. Aging veteran Edgerrin James (385 rushing yards, 3 TD, 10 receptions) lost his job as the main running back to rookie Tim Hightower (299 rushing yards, 7 TD, 24 receptions) earlier this month after a string of ineffective outings, but the youngster hasn't exactly taken advantage of the opportunity. Hightower has mustered just 57 rushing yards over the last two weeks and is averaging a meager 3.1 yards per carry on the year. With James entrenched in Whisenhunt's doghouse, J.J. Arrington (123 rushing yards, 12 receptions, 2 total TD) has seen an increased role and responded with a rushing and receiving touchdown in last Sunday's win.
Arizona's ground struggles could very well continue for another week, considering the Giants rank eighth in the NFL in rushing defense (91.0 ypg) and have not let an individual player run for over 100 yards this season. New York is particularly strong up the middle, where interior pluggers Fred Robbins (23 tackles, 5.5 sacks) and Barry Cofield (30 tackles, 2 sacks) routinely clog up the lanes and valued middle linebacker Antonio Pierce (54 tackles, 1 sack) rarely misses a tackle. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco led his team with 57 rushing yards on six scrambles against the G-Men last week, but the lead-footed Warner doesn't have anywhere near that kind of mobility.
FANTASY FOCUS
With the possible exception of Drew Brees, there's hasn't been a better fantasy quarterback this year than Warner, nor a superior pair of receivers than Arizona's deadly combo of Boldin and Fitzgerald. The trio are always must-starts regardless of the opponent, even one as formidable as the Giants. New York's point-producing stud is a tougher call. It's hard to leave Jacobs, a virtual cash register at the goal line, out of lineups if he's active, but his owners should be wary of the threat of less carries due to his sore knee. That in turn gives Ward a boost as a potential flex play. Giants receivers have been a disappointing group from a fantasy perspective, but Burress and maybe Boss have promise in a matchup with a Cardinals defense that gives up a lot of TD passes. Manning should be avoided unless there aren't better alternatives, and stay away from Arizona's shaky running back situation if at all possible as well.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Cardinals have a golden opportunity to quiet the naysayers who regard their strong record as the product of playing nearly half their games within a cookie-dough soft division, and they've got the firepower to give the defending champs a serious run for their money. On the other hand, it's becoming clearer by the week that the Giants are a team on a mission, and it's doubtful they'll step off the accelerator against an opponent New York could very well be facing again come January. It's more believable that the Giants can slow down Warner and Arizona's star-studded receiving corps than the Cardinals can put a halt to New York's steamroller of a running game, therefore give Big Blue a slight edge in what should be an entertaining game that really could go either way.
Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Giants 27, Cardinals 23
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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