ARIZONA CARDINALS @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Vegas Line: Cardinals + 9.5
Rob’s Line: Cardinals + 9.5
A very curious thing happened in San Francisco last week. Frank Gore had a toal of zero yards on six carrries. San Francisco’s star running back (star player?) did leave the win over the Giants with a knee injury, but that’s a blot on the copybook of his career that won’t please him.
Fortunately for San Fran, they’re able to call upon the not inconsiderable talents of rookie Kendall Hunter to spell him and that may happen from the start this week as Gore is questionable. However, depending upon what you want to believe from whichever source you get your news from, he’s expected to play.
Speaking of San Fran and rushing, they rank first in the league in defending the run and as incredible stats go, they’ve not allowed a 100 yard rusher for 31 straight games. The odds on that continuing this week are well in the 49ers’ favour as Arizona’s leading rusher, Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells is averaging just 3 yards per carry over his last five outings. Granted, he has been playing hurt, but the NFL is an unforgiving environment and stats don’t lie.
The Cardinals are on a two game winning streak and while that is, of course, not a stat in the 49ers’ locker right now, it’s two games that could well have been three as they went down in overtime in Baltimore three weeks ago having led 24-3, so they do have it in them to shock and I have to say that the feeling pervades that the handicap this week could be a little generous.
Quarterback John Skelton has been a more than able deputy for Kevin Kolb over the last two games, but Kolb may return this week. However, dare the coaching staff let Skelton go back to being a bench warmer? He has 4 TDs and 2 INTs in his two starts and, most importantly, he came in with Arizona at 1-6…they’re now 3-6.
Larry Fitzgerald lobbied for Kolb in post-lockout free agency, but he didn’t fare too badly at all with Skelton throwing balls his way last week as he hauled in seven passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Eagles, a game in which, incidentally, Philly were favoured by as many as fourteen points. That win last week (on the road) and the performance in Baltimore is a good form guide for this one and with the 49ers so far ahead in the division, they could well be a little distracted. I really like Arizona and the points.
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