Vikings vs. Cardinals 2015 picks and predictions: Experts unaminously favor Arizona on Thursday night

The Arizona Cardinals host the Minnesota Vikings in a Thursday Night Football matchup that could be a playoff preview, provided the Vikings recover from their recent skid.

Minnesota has struggled after a 7-2 start to the season, losing two of its last three games while dealing with important injuries on defense. The Vikings suffered a dismal 38-7 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks at home and are losing a grip on the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers holding a head-to-head tiebreaker. The bigger story is a depleted defense -- Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith and Linval Joseph have all been ruled out for another week for a once-stout unit that just got carved up by Russell Wilson and Thomas Rawls.

The Cardinals strolled to 10-2 despite having injury issues of their own. After losing Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington, Arizona plugged in David Johnson as the new workhorse back and he responded with 120 total yards and a touchdown on 24 touches. With Carson Palmer still playing at an MVP level and the defense ranking third in DVOA, the Cardinals are one of the most complete teams in the league.

Arizona can clinch a playoff spot by winning this game, and can seal up the NFC West if Seattle also loses. As usual, don’t expect Bruce Arians to take his foot off the gas, even if the Cardinals jump out to an early lead.

None of the experts expect the Vikings to take this game. Every single writer at both CBS Sports and SB Nation is picking Arizona.