Line: Arizona -5, Total: 48

Line movement: The Cardinals opened as 3-point favorites in Las Vegas on Sunday night, but betting in their favor pushed the spread to as high as -5.5.  On Friday, most oddsmakers were dealing -5, with some at -4.5.  Totals ranged from 47.5 to 48.5. Check our odds page for updated NFL lines from Las Vegas .

Trends that matter: Cincinnati is 4-0 SU and ATS away this year…The UNDER is 3-0 in Cincinnati’s last three after the OVER started 5-1…The OVER is 7-2 in Arizona’s games this year. 

By the numbers: Bengals at Cards

Cincinnati outlook: The Bengals (8-1 SU, 7-1-1 ATS) have had a short week to regroup after their shocking Monday home loss (10-6 as 10-point favorites) to the Texans. The disappointing defeat conjured up memories of their wild-card losses the last four years (two of which were to Houston), and it remains to be seen if there’s any hangover this week. 

Andy Dalton posted his worst QB rating (61) of the year last game, and the offense is averaging just 17.7 PPG the last three (the UNDER 3-0) compared to 30.3 PPG the first six (the OVER 5-1). Dalton is going to need to be patient and find other receivers besides A.J. Green (769 yards), who will be draped by All-Pro Patrick Peterson. He also needs to be a careful against this pass defense that’s tied for the league lead with 14 picks. 

The Bengals have played well on the road this year (4-0 SU and ATS), including wins as small dogs at Pittsburgh (16-10 as 1-point dogs) and Baltimore (28-24 as 2-point dogs).  The Ravens game marked the largest number of points they’ve caught as underdogs this year, so the 5-point spread vs. the Cardinals represents a big jump. 

More on the Bengals: Stats and trends

Arizona outlook: The Cardinals (7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) come into this game with great momentum after a 39-32 victory at Seattle as 3-point dogs. The win put them in great position to take their first division title since 2009.

Quarterback Carson Palmer leads the NFL’s top-ranked offense in yards (421.1 YPG), and the unit is second in points (33.6 PPG). He spent his first seven seasons with the Bengals and hasn’t faced them since a 34-10 road loss in 2012 with the Raiders. Palmer is not afraid to admit this is ’not just another game’ and should play well even against a Cincy defense that’s first in points allowed (16.9 PPG). 

One issue for Arizona is injuries. Wide receivers Michael Floyd and John Brown are both questionable with hamstring issues, with Floyd more in doubt. Starting guards Michael Iupati (neck) and Jonathan Cooper (knee) are both questionable as well, although Iupati returned to practice Wednesday after suffering a scary stinger last week.

More on the Cardinals: Stats and trends

Pick: The Cardinals are tied with the Patriots atop Kenny White’s NFL power ratings. Arizona could be Super Bowl-bound, and we expect a big effort from Carson Palmer and his teammates Sunday night.  Cincy’s loss against the Texans, meanwhile, is cause for concern, and their offense has showed signs of slowing down.  The Linemakers’ Micah Roberts recommends laying the points with the Cardinals, with a correlated play on the OVER, as all six Arizona covers this season have also gone OVER the total. Kenny likes Arizona on the money-line if it reverts back to below -200.

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