Jacksonville Jaguars Host Arizona Cardinals As 3 Point Favorites

NFL News - September 16th, 2009 - Written by John

If you are thinking to yourself it's been a long time you've seen these teams on the same field, it's because, well, it has.

Not since 2005 has the NFL slated Arizona to play Jacksonville, back when the Jaguars won, 24-17. Jacksonville, in fact has won both of the only two meetings.

It seems as if the Cardinals are on a Super Bowl slide commonly seen among 2nd-place finishers, losing it's home-opener to the basement-dweller San Francisco 49ers.

But don't jump ship just yet. Remember, the Cardinals were not the toast of the NFL during the regular season last year, either. They still have a lot of weapons on offense, namely Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner, and can score on anyone with authority. The pair connected for back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons with at least 96 catches and continued that in the opener, hooking up for 71 more yards.

Warner is also looking in the flats more often, it seems. The leading receiver in their first game was running back Tim Hightower, catching a career-high 12 passes for 121 yards. But for the offense to really click they will need Anquan Boldin to make a speedy return from a hamstring injury. He only had two catches last week.

The defense continues to have question marks. It's the reason they hit the free-agent market and picked up defensive backs Bryant McFadden and Rashad Johnson in the off-season.

The Jaguars, however, haven't had many defensive issues since Jack Del Rio took over as head coach. Despite allowing 301 yards through the air by Peyton Manning last week, the Jags held the Colts' typically high-scoring offense to only 14 points. If they hold Arizona to a number around there, it will probably result in a win.

BetUS is counting on that to happen, announcing Jacksonville as three-point favorites at home. Taking the Cardinals will give you a +145 return. The over/under for the game is at 42 1/2.

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