The Green Bay Packers will finish their preseason at Lambeau Field on Friday night with a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals that gives Matt LaFleur one final look at the bottom half of his roster before cuts.
Green Bay hosts Arizona after splitting its first two preseason games, including a 33-13 win at Denver last week.
Arizona enters at 1-2 after playing an extra exhibition because of the Hall of Fame Game.
The LaFleur brothers, Mike as head coach of the Cardinals and Matt of Green Bay, face off against each other, with the storyline around the starters being clear cut.
LaFleur indicated earlier in camp that the Packers’ first-team players would sit in the finale after getting extended work against Arizona during Wednesday’s joint practice.
Arizona is taking a similar approach. Most of its regular starters are expected to sit, while Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis are expected to handle the quarterback workload.
Packers vs. Cardinals: How to Watch, TV Channel and Odds
The Packers and Cardinals kick off Friday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m. ET, or 7 p.m. CT, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Green Bay’s official viewing guide says the game will air across the Packers TV Network, including NBC 26 in Green Bay and TMJ4 in Milwaukee. NFL+ provides a streaming option, while the Packers Radio Network will carry the game locally.
Green Bay was a small favorite this morning. DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Packers at minus-1.5, with Green Bay around minus-123 on the moneyline and Arizona at plus-103. The over-under sat at 36.5 points.
Prediction-market traders were just as cautious about separating the teams.
As of this morning, Kalshi had Green Bay at roughly 52% and Arizona at 49% on its preseason moneyline market. Polymarket had the Packers at 51 cents and the Cardinals at 50 cents, with Green Bay minus-0.5 priced at 51 cents.
The market is close because most of the proven talent on both rosters will be watching.
Green Bay will lean on Tyrod Taylor and Kyle McCord at quarterback, while Arizona counters with Minshew and Slovis.
Packers vs. Cardinals Prediction: Green Bay’s Depth Gets Home Edge
Green Bay’s second preseason game offered the best argument for backing the Packers. The offense moved the ball consistently in a 33-13 win at Denver, and the reserves showed enough balance to pull away from a favored Broncos team.
The quarterback matchup is still a concern.
Minshew brings significant NFL starting experience to Arizona’s second unit, and Slovis has been efficient in limited preseason work, setting a stable floor for the Cardinals even with their starters resting.
Meanwhile, the Packers have Taylor and McCord who have competed behind Love this summer, and both should get enough work to settle into the game.
McCord has completed 24 of 35 passes for 230 yards this preseason, while Taylor gives the offense a veteran option if the younger quarterback stalls.
The joint practice also gave both coaching staffs a fresh peak at the opponent, reducing some of the schematic uncertainty that typically comes with a preseason game.
Friday should be more about execution, tackling and avoiding mistakes than unveiling anything new, lending toward a close game, which matches the sportsbook line and the prediction markets.
Home field means less in August than it will in the regular season, but Green Bay’s depth played well enough last week to earn a slight lean.
If the Packers avoid turnovers and get another steady showing from their backup quarterbacks, they should create enough late offense to finish the preseason with a win.
The pick: Packers 20, Cardinals 17.
Packers vs. Cardinals Tonight: How to Watch, Odds & Prediction