Ravens head to Arizona
October 22, 2015
BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-5) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-2)
Kickoff: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Arizona -7.5, Total: 48.5
It’s a battle of the birds Monday night as the Ravens swoop into Glendale, AZ to clash with the Cardinals.
Floundering Baltimore (1-5 SU, 0-5-1 ATS) looks to the desert in the hopes of turning its season around as it takes on NFC West-leading Arizona (4-2 SU and ATS). The Ravens have struggled to notch wins through six weeks, with their only victory coming in overtime against division rival the Steelers in Week 4. However, the five losses have all come by less than a touchdown (6, 4, 4, 3 and 5 points). After dropping last week’s game to the aforementioned Steelers in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII, the Cardinals will be looking to bounce back this week at home.
Monday's matchup is only the sixth meeting between the teams, with Baltimore holding a 4-1 SU edge over its opponent, and Arizona posting a 4-1 ATS record. The teams last met in a 2011 thriller that saw the QB Joe Flacco-led Ravens mount a second-half comeback to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit, and win as time expired on a field goal by K Billy Cundiff. The matchup trends are largely in the Cardinals’ favor, as the team is 9-1 ATS against poor passing defenses (allowing 7+ YPA) over the past three seasons, and 8-0 ATS coming off non-conference games in the same time period. There is a negative trend favoring the Ravens to beat the spread, however, as Arizona is just 1-9 ATS as a home favorite of 7.5 to 14 points since 1992.
Injuries have been a constant for the Ravens this season, contributing to the team’s woes. They will be closely watching several key defensive players, including DE Chris Canty (calf), CB Lardarius Webb (thigh), S Terrence Brooks (thumb), and S Kendrick Lewis (knee), as well as WR Darren Waller (concussion), all of whom are currently questionable to play Monday night. The Cardinals come into this week’s game fairly healthy, with only G Earl Watford (undisclosed) listed as questionable to play.
The Baltimore offense has leaned heavily on the passing game. Through Week 6, QB Joe Flacco has the thrown the second-highest number of pass attempts (247), behind only Chargers QB Philip Rivers, and the third-highest number of completed passes (154). The team’s rushing game has been hit-or-miss throughout the season, illustrated by a dismal 36-yard outing against the Bengals in Week 3 followed by a 191-yard performance against the Steelers the next week. While the Ravens have historically been known for their defensive prowess, this year’s unit has underwhelmed thus far.
Baltimore has surrendered 27.0 PPG to opponents (27th out of 32), giving up an average of 381 YPG (25th out of 32) and generating only four turnovers (30th out of 32). The Ravens’ secondary has proven particularly porous of late, allowing an average of 374 passing yards and a total of four passing touchdowns in their past two games against the Browns and the 49ers.
Arizona has been an offensive juggernaut this season, averaging 33.8 PPG (2nd in NFL), 406 YPG in total offense (5th in league), and controlling the ball an average of 32:07 at home. Veteran QB Carson Palmer is on pace to have one of the best seasons of his career, tallying a 64.8% completion rate, throwing for 14 TD, posting a 106.9 passer rating, and connecting with his receivers for a league-leading 13.9 yards per completion. Palmer has had success against Baltimore dating back to his tenure with AFC North rival Cincinnati, posting a 9-5 SU record (10-4 ATS) with 255 passing YPG, 17 TD and 12 INT.
This season, Palmer has been aided by a resurgent WR Larry Fitzgerald (43 receptions, 583 yards, 6 TD), who has shaken off any preseason doubts about his effectiveness as a receiver. The Cardinals’ defense has been similarly productive, snatching a league-leading 11 interceptions and limiting opponents to 19.2 PPG and 329 total YPG, which includes a scant 16.7 PPG and 297 total YPG at home.
