Most are not giving the Arizona Cardinals much of a shot this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After all, the Cardinals will have Trace McSorley starting at quarterback against the legendary Tom Brady for the Bucs.
For betting purposes, the spread has gone from a 2-point advantage for Tampa to more than a touchdown.
However, there are a couple of things that the Cardinals can rely on to have a shot at winning.
First is their running game.
The Bucs have a pedestrian run defense this season, allowing 120.2 yards on the ground per game. They will be playing without stud defensive lineman Vita Vea, who is out with a calf injury.
The Cardinals have rushed for at least 130 yards in three of their four wins. The Bucs have allowed more than 150 rushing yards in five of their eight losses.
The other part is the run defense.
The Cardinals are 4-1 when opponents fail to reach 100 rushing yards. They are 0-9 when they do.
The Bucs have the league’s worst rushing offense, averaging 74.3.
If the Cardinals can get James Conner going and if they can limit Tampa’s run game, in addition to not turning the ball over, they have a shot.
That’s about all you can hope for at this point.
[vertical-gallery id=474813]
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and