Cardinals vs. 49ers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Radio, Game Time and More

The San Francisco 49ers are trying to have the NFC West locked up early this year, and can continue that mission by beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

These two divisional rivals are going in opposite directions this season, but the Cardinals have experienced a bit of a resurgence with John Skelton under center.

They will attempt to ride their two-game winning streak into San Francisco and pull out a third victory with Skelton, but it will be much harder than their previous two to earn.

Keep reading to find all you need to know about this exciting NFC West battle.

Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA

When: Sunday, Nov. 20 at 4:05 p.m. EDT

Watch: FOX

Listen: FM 92.3 KTAR – Arizona, KNBR 680 AM – San Francisco

Betting Line: San Francisco -9.5, Over/Under 40.5

What's At Stake?

The Cardinals have won two straight games and are looking promising, as their defense is getting the job done and John Skelton is doing just enough for them to squeak out these victories.

That ends on Sunday, when they run into arguably the hottest team in the NFL right now, the 49ers.

San Francisco will expose the Cardinals' weaknesses, and will look to win this game to lock up the NFC West early in the season so they can avoid any sort of drama in the division.

If you recall last season, it came down to the last game and Seattle sneaked into the playoffs with a 7-9 record.

There will be none of that this year, and the 49ers will make sure.

Cardinals Injury Report (via CBSSports.com)

QB Kevin Kolb—DBT (Toe)—Kolb’s foot is still messed up, and he is dealing with turf toe along with ligament and bone damage in the foot.

Skelton has gone 2-0 since becoming the starter, and the team is in no rush to bring Kolb back in a disappointing season so far.

49ers Injury Report (via CBSSports.com)

RB Frank Gore—QST (Knee, Ankle)—Gore tried to tough out an ankle injury last week, but produced zero yardage on six carries before being removed with a knee injury.

He may see the field for limited snaps, as coach Jim Harbaugh should be watching his workhorse's carries in a very winnable game and keep him healthy for the inevitable playoff run.

Fantasy Start 'Em, Sit' Em and Sleeper

Start ‘Em: Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzy had quite a game for himself this past week, and finally lived up to his early-round draft status this year.

He went off for 146 yards and two TDs on seven catches, and practically willed the Cardinals to a win. He should be a good play once again this week as Skelton’s favorite and most reliable target.

Sit ‘Em: Frank Gore

Gore did absolutely nothing last week, and probably won’t even touch the ball much this game, if at all.

He isn’t worth a start; there are plenty of other options to be found in free agency and your bench.

Sleeper: Kendall Hunter

If Gore cannot go, Hunter is next in line to receive the lion’s share of carries in the 49ers’ offense.

The Cardinals rank just 21st in the league in rushing defense, and the Niners would be wise to run the ball on them often.

What They're Saying

Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic is reporting that coach Ken Whisenhunt is refusing to acknowledge a brewing quarterback controversy in the desert.

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"I understand the point of discussion," Whisenhunt said Monday. "Where we are right now, it doesn't matter. Until we get Kevin back out there and practicing and we can assess where he is after having missed a couple of weeks, you can't even talk about that, to be honest with you."

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Kevin Lynch had a chance to interview 49ers starting QB Alex Smith the other day, and asked why he is limiting his media appearances.

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“The focus has to be about this team and winning football games,” Smith said. “That’s what will determine what gets written about me anyways, not how many interviews I’m doing.”

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Smith was always slaughtered by the media for his poor performances in years past with the team.

Cardinals Player to Watch: Larry Fitzgerald

If the Cards have any hope to win, they will need their All-Pro receiver to have a beastly game.

He is still arguably the best receiver in the game right now, despite having a revolving door of QBs throwing him the ball since Kurt Warner retired.

Fitz has the ability to take over a game, and that was witnessed last week in their upset of the Philadelphia Eagles on the road.

49ers Player to Watch: Kendall Hunter

If Gore isn’t playing, the rookie back becomes the man to watch.

Since Gore is often banged up and very injury prone, Hunter needs to prove he can handle a consistent work load if the team needs to count on him come playoff time.

So far this season, he has been relatively solid in limited action.

Key Matchup: 49ers run defense vs. Cardinals ground game.

The 49ers have the top rushing defense in the league on the ground, giving up just 73.2 yards per game.

They also have not allowed a single touchdown on the ground through nine games. It’s really quite impressive.

They will need to be that good against the Cardinals in order to force Skelton into throwing. He is very mistake prone and could commit a bunch of turnovers should the 49ers force him to constantly throw the rock.

Prediction

49ers 27 – Cardinals 17