Packers vs. Cardinals 2016 picks and predictions: Arizona is a near-unanimous favorite to advance

The Arizona Cardinals trounced the Green Bay Packers 38-8 when they matched up three weeks ago. Despite the Packers' convincing Wild Card win against Washington last Sunday, they enter Saturday night's game on NBC as underdogs.

In the immediate aftermath of the Packers' 30-point loss to the Cardinals, Aaron Rodgers insisted his team would be fine. But then the Packers went out and lost to the Vikings at Lambeau Field in Week 17 and it seemed as if Rodgers' confidence was rooted in self-indulgence rather than reality.

The Packers woke up against Washington, though, outscoring the NFC East champs by 11 points in the second half. Rodgers completed 21 of 36 passes and threw two touchdown passes, including one to Randall Cobb.

Despite his relatively advanced age, Carson Palmer is coming off the best season of his career. He threw for 4,671 yards with 35 touchdowns in 2015, to go along with a 104.6 QB rating.

The Packers' pass defense is one of the best in the league, but it clearly wasn't a match for the Cardinals when these teams first faced off. Michael Floyd led all Arizona receivers with eight catches and 111 yards while John Brown and Larry Fitzgerald reeled in touchdowns.

Regular season games aren't always an indicator of how the playoffs will go -- the Patriots blew out the Jets 45-3 on Monday Night Football at the end of the 2010 campaign before losing to the Gang Green in January -- but Arizona's victory over Green Bay was exceptionally convincing.