NFL Week 7 is here and fans are ready for another week of wild upsets, close finishes, and football madness all throughout the slate. As a new Sunday arrives, we'll be going over some bold predictions when the Green Bay Packers (3-1-1) visit the Arizona Cardinals (2-4) on Sunday, October 19 at 4:25 p.m. ET.
The Green Bay Packers come into this game following a 27-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals coming out of their Week 5 BYE. Joe Flacco aimed to lead another comeback attempt against the Packers for the second time this season, but the Green Bay defense held strong through the fourth quarter to get the win. RB Josh Jacobs was the catalyst for their success with two touchdowns on the ground, moving into second-place for the league's most touchdowns.
The Arizona Cardinals come in following a tough 31-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Despite the L on their record, quarterback Jacoby Brissett managed to keep the Cardinals competitive without Kyler Murray out there and covering the +5.5-point spread set for them. This week, they'll be the underdogs once again looking to break their four-game losing streak. Kyler Murray remains ‘questionable' ahead of this one, so we could see Brissett start another game in relief.
Sportsbooks are billing the Green Bay Packers as 6.5-point betting favorites on the road. The implied total for the game has been set at 44.5 points.
Packers vs. Cardinals Bold Predictions – Week 7
Packers' Josh Jacobs leads the NFL in rushing yards after Week 7
Through the first six weeks of the season, Josh Jacobs is currently second among players with six rushing touchdowns on the season, trailing only Colts' Jonathan Taylor (7) for the league lead. What is even more impressive is that Jacobs has been able to do so with one fewer game played given the Packers' Week 5 BYE.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Packers leaned heavily on their lead back with 18 carries, two touchdowns, and a great receiving game with five catches for 57 yards. Right now, he's their most reliable option from inside the 20-yard line and he's been able to convert on more attempts than not. With the Colts facing a staunch Chargers' defense, don't be surprised if Josh Jacobs can take the lead or tie for most rushing touchdowns.
Cardinals' Bam Knight earns RB1 role
The Arizona Cardinals' backfield has been devastated all season. First came the season-ending injury to feature back James Connor. As backup Trey Benson finally began settling into his new role, he landed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Then, of course, came the fumble on the goal line from suspected RB1 Emari Demercado, effectively killing any changes at the starting role.
Bam Knight saw his most active game of the season in Week 6 with 11 carries for 34 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a pass for 20 yards and was clearly the more explosive playmaker opposite backfield mate Michael Carter, who logged nine carries and two catches last game. I expect Bam Knight to be much more active in the offense during this game, ultimately marking his role as the starting back while Trey Benson is out.
The Packers' defense will create more than one turnover
While this Green Bay Packers defensive unit has been great in keeping teams out of the end zone this season, they're notably ranked second-worst in the NFL in takeaways with just two this season. Safety Xavier McKinney had more individual interceptions than most teams up to this point last season, so this is certainly uncharted territory for the Packers' as of late.
For a defense that's been the talk of the NFL with their addition of edge rusher Micah Parsons, the Packers' defense is bound for their breakthrough performance. If veteran Jacoby Brissett sees the start, expect the Packers' corners to be ballhawking all throughout this one.
The Arizona Cardinals will lead at halftime
While the betting odds are significantly skewed towards the Packers in this game, they've had a history of starting slow over the last two seasons. Furthermore, quarterback Jordan Love made an early mistake with an interception against the Bengals, so the Arizona Cardinals could become competitive early-on if they're able to force a turnover or two out of the Packers.
The Packers have also allowed teams like the Browns and Bengals to hang around late in the game, so unless we see a completely dominant effort from Green Bay in all three phases of the game, expect the Cardinals to hang around and threaten with a tight margin.
