It’s a new week in the 2021 NFL season, which means that it’s time for another Thursday Night Football matchup. Week 8’s TNF contest will be played between a pair of NFC heavyweights as the Green Bay Packers (6-1) travel to take on the undefeated Arizona Cardinals (7-0). It’s certainly a game where there seems like there won’t be any shortage of excitement.
In what will be one of the biggest Thursday Night Football matchups in some time, will the Packers finally put an end to the Cardinal’s streak? Or will Arizona inch one step closer to a perfect season?
Read on for betting odds (BetOnline) and analysis as to what you can expect in tonight’s Packers vs Cardinals matchup.
Packers vs Cardinals General Information and Statistics
Tonight’s matchup will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ — home of the Cardinals. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. EST and the game can be viewed on FOX and the NFL Network, as well as multiple streaming platforms.
The Packers are averaging 24.0 points per game this season, which is the 16th-best average so far this season. Meanwhile, the Cardinals average 32.1 PPG — fourth-best in the NFL. Defensively, Green Bay is surrendering 20.9 PPG (T-7th) while Arizona has been giving up an average of 16.3 PPG (1st).
Thursday Night Football: Packers vs Cardinals Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Thursday, October 28
- Green Bay Packers (6-1) vs Arizona Cardinals (7-0)
- Moneyline: Packers (+235) vs Cardinals (-280)
- Spread: Packers +6.5 (-110) vs Cardinals -6.5 (-110)
- Total: 50.0 — Over (-115), Under (-105)
- Head-to-Head: Packers are 5-5 against the Cardinals in their last 10 games.
Complete odds list and prop bets available at BetOnline.ag.
Packers Dealing with Injuries
Normally, the Packers may have entered Thursday Night Football with better odds to win than +235, however, they’re dealing with a bunch of injuries. Wideouts Davante Adams and Allen Lazard will both be out of the game as they remain on the COVID-19 list. The team would usually rely on Marquez Valdes-Scantling in this case, however, he’s still on the injured reserve after dealing with COVID and a hamstring issue, with no guarantee that he’ll be activated ahead of the game.
That means that Aaron Rodgers will likely rely on Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers as his top two pass-catching options. The only issue there is that the duo has combined for a total of 212 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Fortunately, the three-time MVP-winning quarterback has looked tremendous during Green Bay’s six-game winning streak. Rodgers has completed 70.5% of his passes during that stretch for 1,577 yards and 15 touchdowns to one interception. With that being said, if anyone can make lemonade out of lemons tonight it’s him. The Cardinals have one of the best offenses in the league, so the Packers will rely on Rodgers to make things work. The crazy thing is he’s that good and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him keep the Thursday Night Football matchup a lot closer than people expect.
Can Arizona Go 8-0 in Thursday Night Football?
At 7-0, the Cardinals are going through one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history.
A lot of that has been because of how dynamic their offense has been. Arizona has three wideouts with at least 400 receiving yards so far with Rondale Moore not too far behind at 303. James Conner and Chase Edmonds have been the perfect mix of rushing and pass-catching in the backfield. The Cardinals even added Zach Ertz not that long ago and he posted a 3-66-1 stat line in his debut. It just seems tough to imagine the Packers mangled offense keeping up with them, especially with Arizona as the 6.5-point home favorite.
At the end of the day, Kyler Murray has a lot more weapons than Aaron Rodgers. The third-year QB leads the league with a 73.5% completion rating, tallying 2,002 passing yards and 17 TDs to 5 INTs. He’s also continued to be impressive on the ground, rushing the ball 43 times for 131 yards and a trio of scores.
Nevertheless, the Cardinals do have their injury issues as well. While they’ve had one of the top defenses in the league so far, Arizona will be without defensive end J.J. Watt tonight and likely for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. The good news is that the Cardinals will be getting Chandler Jones back for Thursday Night Football after he missed the last two games with COVID. With Green Bay’s offense being depleted, Arizona’s D needs to take advantage of the situation to preserve the perfect season.
