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| NFL Preview: Cardinals vs. Bengals |
For all of the latest NFL odds for week 16 and the best football wagering options, check out Bet Phoenix, the top rated football sportsbook. If someone would have penciled in the Week 16 Cardinals vs. Bengals matchup as one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend at the beginning of the season you would have laughed them out the door. Heck, if someone told you that the Cardinals would be playing meaningful football games in late December just four weeks ago you would have been laughed out as well. But here we are a couple days before Christmas and both the Cardinals and the Bengals are fighting for their playoff lives. For the Bengals, it's all about a breakout year for Andy Dalton. After a off-season of strife with Carson Palmer, Dalton has, out of nowhere, suddenly become one of the biggest success stories of the year. Last year's second round pick has led the Bengals to a surprising 8-6 record, which is impressive for a team that was expected to win between two and four games at the beginning of the season. And while being a surprise team is all well and good, the Bengals want to make the playoffs, something that is still doable going into this weekend. If the Bengals win their final two games and the Jets lose one game, the Bengals are in. There are other scenarios too that favor the Bengals, but they are plentiful and complex. The Cardinals, on the other hand, have come out of nowhere to be a playoff contender going into Week 16. Of course, thanks to a 1-6 start, the Cardinals playoff chances are slim, but they are there. Essentially their playoff fate rests on the Falcons and Lions losing their final two games and the Cardinals winning out, which makes it a long shot, but something to keep an eye on. Frankly, if the Cardinals are able to finish above .500 for the season you have to call this a major success. The Bengals vs. Cardinals Week 16 matchup is essentially going to come down to whether Arizona quarterback John Skelton can stay hot, as well as whether the Bengals D can get their groove back. The Bengals have had a top notch pass defense all season, though the last couple of weeks have shown that there are some holes that can be exploited. If Fitzgerald can continue to play out of his mind, Arizona should be able to put up a lot of points on the board. While Andy Dalton is arguably the Rookie of the Year for the NFL, he can look human at sometimes. If a good defense get's a hold of him, he will only produce 135 yards per game passing, like he did against the Steelers a couple of weeks ago. Of course, he could also pass for 370 yards per game like he did last week, which means that you can never really sleep on him. While the Cardinals can give up a lot of yards per game, they don't give up a lot of points. In fact, they haven't given up more than 23 since week eight. When it comes down to it, the Bengals are coming off of their hardest stretch of the season. While they are only 2-4 in their last six games, those losses came against Pittsburgh (twice), Houston and Baltimore. It's going to be interesting to see whether Arizona plays like the hot team they have been lately, or if the Bengals can beat a team that they, at least on paper, should be able to beat. This is the kind of game that is hard to call, especially due to the fact that you are dealing with two teams with young quarterbacks. 
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The Cincinnati Bengals need to win to get into the playoffs, but they may have a tough time when they go up against the red-hot Cardinals.
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