The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers will play each other in a winner-take-all game in the NFC Wild Card round on Saturday at 4:35 p.m. EST.

A total of 11 playoff games will played this NFL postseason, and this will be the very first.

At first glance, this may seem like a clear advantage for the Cardinals who finished the season with 11 wins, but it's not that simple. Although the Panthers won just seven games all season, they are favored to win this game.

Latin Post.com previews the game, predicts a winner, and lets you vote in our fan poll:

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers finished the regular season on a strong note winning their last four consecutive games. Going a perfect 4-0 in December is perfect momentum for a playoff team.

Quarterback Cam Newton threw 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season, including just one interception in the last month. Not only is Newton a quality quarterback, but Derek Anderson is one of the best backups in the league. Offensively, the Panthers have the seventh-best rushing attack thanks to Jonathan Stewart's 809 yards on the ground.

Last season the Panthers had the second-best defense in the league. It hasn't been as dominant this year, but it still ranks 10th overall in yards against and hasn't allowed more than two touchdowns in a game in over a month. For the third consecutive season, Luke Kuechly had more than 90 tackles.

This season, the Panthers became the first team to win the NFC South division two consecutive seasons.

There's no doubt the Panthers have the momentum heading into this game, as well as home field advantage. Many NFL fans don't agree with the fact that a team with a losing record can host a playoff game, but those are the rules. Because the Cardinals failed to beat the Seattle Seahawks and win the NFC West, they are a wild card team.

Arizona Cardinals

It was a very disappointing finish to the regular season for the Cardinals. Starting quarterback Carson Palmer was a perfect 6-0, but he tore his ACL. Backup quarterback Drew Stanton played well in his eight starts, going 5-3. Unfortunately, he suffered an MCL sprain and is done for the season. Next man up. Ryan Lindley is now under center, and it isn't going very well.

The 25-year-old quarterback has two career touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and he has lost each of his two starts this season for the Cardinals. This will be Lindley's first career playoff start. As a team, the Cardinals lost four of their last six games after starting 9-1. What looked like a promising No. 1 seed finish, quickly turned into a wild card ending. The Cardinals running attack ranks 31st in the league, and they haven't scored a single rushing touchdown in the last seven games.

Still, we can't count out this Cardinals squad. They did win 11 games for a reason.

The Cardinals defense is the definition of "bend, but don't break." They rank 24th in yards against though fifth in points allowed. Cornerback Patrick Peterson hasn't been playing like himself lately, but the Cardinals run defense is one of the best in the NFL.

For the Cardinals to have a chance, wide receivers Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald have to get involved early and throughout.

There's a good chance Bruce Arians will get the Coach of the Year Award this season.

Schedule, Where to Watch

The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers will play each on Saturday, Jan. 3, at 4:35 p.m. EST on ESPN. The game will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can view a live game stream here.

Predictions

Despite having four less losses, the Panthers have the upper hand for a number of reasons. They have home field advantage, they've won four straight games, and they actually have a starting quarterback. This should be a close game between two quality defenses, but quarterback play will make the difference.

Panthers win 24- 17

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