NFL Betting :
Cardinals Experience Will Keep Them Close With Saints

Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints
Football : United States : NFL Divisional Playoff
Saturday 16th January 2010 - Kickoff 4:30pm ET

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US Betting Line : Saints -7

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Most NFL betting experts are still going on the assumption that the Arizona Cardinals don’t belong in the playoffs. The truth is that the Cardinals are a good team that has figured out how to kick it up a notch in the postseason.

They had more injuries going into last week’s game with the Green Bay Packers, they weren’t as hot and they were as impressive in the regular season. Nonetheless, the Cardinals surprised a number of sports betting sharps by upending Green Bay 51-45 in the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history.

Kurt Warner was on fire in that game, completing 29-of-33 pass attempts for 379 yards and five touchdowns. Who needs a running game when you have Warner? So much for all of those retirement talks before the game.

The Cardinals are in a very similar spot this week as they head out on the road. They are underdogs and everyone is doubting them once again. But as they head to New Orleans, they face a pass-happy team once again and have the edge on the experience side. Maybe it will provide the same results.

The Saints are rightfully favored in this game but you have to be very careful betting this team. They started the season with 13 straight wins but lost their last three in ugly fashion. First they lost at home to the Dallas Cowboys – never really getting themselves into them game – then they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home and finished things up with an ugly beat down at the hands of the Carolina Panthers.

The Cardinals were not the hottest team down the stretch either, but we have seen now for the second year in a row that they know how to kick it up a notch. When the playoffs started, they came out guns ablazing and that’s part of why they were up 17-0 very early in the contest against Green Bay. Meanwhile, the Packers were still finding their feet.

That’s what that type of experience does for you. If the Saints are focused from the get-go, they’ll find themselves in trouble as well very early on.

The Betting Verdict

Arizona is a good team and it’s time to recognize it. Win or lose, they’ll keep this one close so take them with the points.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

Cardinals 35, Saints 31

HANDICAP BETTING :

Take the ARIZONA CARDINALS with the +7 point start