The Arizona Cardinals are one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season. They're sitting at 9-2 after falling to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12, but they have a solid chance at earning their 10th win when they travel to take on the 4-7 Atlanta Falcons.
NFL picks and predictions, Cardinals vs. Falcons 2014: Few experts picking the upset
Most experts think the Arizona Cardinals will pick up their 10th win of the season on Sunday.
At the beginning of this season, most would have probably picked the Falcons to win this game, since many saw their 2013 campaign as an anomaly. But the Cardinals have been something close to an unstoppable force, despite significant issues at the quarterback position. Atlanta has a pretty solid quarterback with Matt Ryan, but that offense is underperforming all the same.
That said, the pass offense is about the only thing performing decently for the Falcons at this point. Ryan throws for 278.7 yards per game on average, good for seventh in the league. The Falcons are actually tied for first place in the NFC South with their four wins, so this game has major playoff implications on that front.
For Arizona, it is also plenty important. Though it still holds the division lead, falling in this game could easily mean losing control of the NFC West to the surging Seahawks. The San Francisco 49ers also aren't too far behind, meaning the Cardinals can't afford to lose these kinds of games.
And while the Falcons have been one of the worst teams in the league this year, there are a few experts thinking that Atlanta will earn its fifth win of the season. Over at CBS Sports, six of the eight panelists are picking the Cardinals, leaving both Josh Katzowitz and Will Brinson siding with the home team. At Fox Sports, five of the six contributors are going with the Cardinals, with Mike Garafolo the lone dissenter. Ten of the 13 experts picking for ESPN also think the Cardinals will leave Atlanta with a win.
SB Nation’s experts aren’t quite as divided, as only PFT Commenter is picking the Falcons to win.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | PFT Commenter | Matt Ufford | OddsShark Computer | |
| ARZ @ ATL | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ATL | ARZ | ARZ |
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