The Arizona Cardinals have shown no sign of slowing down, despite some close games in recent weeks. The NFC West leaders passed their biggest test of the season in Week 11 by downing the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-31, and improved to 8-2 on the season. Prior to that, they came out on top over the rival Seattle Seahawks and have won their last four games.
NFL picks and predictions, Cardinals vs. 49ers 2015: Arizona big favorite in NFC West showdown
The Cardinals are riding a four-game winning streak and experts think they’ll win their fifth when they play the 49ers on Sunday.
Next, they'll face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday and if the game goes anything like the first meeting in Week 3, the Cardinals should be in great shape. Carson Palmer threw for 311 yards, Chris Johnson rushed for 110 yards, Larry Fitzgerald had 134 receiving yards and the Cardinals beat the 49ers, 47-7. It was a true beat down.
San Francisco has done nothing in recent weeks to inspire any confidence. The Niners bested the Atlanta Falcons with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback in Week 9, but were dominated by the Seahawks in their last game. The game is in Santa Clara, but the still-new Levi's Stadium hasn't resulted in any significant homefield advantage to this point.
The Cardinals are benefiting from San Francisco and Seattle's struggles. With a three-game lead in the NFC West, they look like they're going to skate into the playoffs. The remaining schedule doesn't look too bad, either, with games against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers being the most difficult.
The 49ers don't look like they'll provide much resistance, as few players in San Francisco have looked good this season. Colin Kaepernick started the season as a dangerous, versatile weapon and now his time in San Francisco might be done. Gabbert is the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, while starting running back Carlos Hyde is dealing with a foot injury and has missed the last three games.
Unsurprisingly, the experts are in near-unanimous agreement that the Cardinals will win Sunday. Over at CBS Sports, all eight of their panelists are picking the Cardinals. One of ESPN’s 13 pickers actually thinks the 49ers will come out with the win. Here at SB Nation, it’s a clean sweep on our panel: all eight experts are going with the Cardinals.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark | |
| ARZ vs SF | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ | ARZ |
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