Arizona @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2012 ) Oakland 27, Arizona 31

Carson Palmer returned from injury last week to help the Arizona Cardinals avoid their first losing streak of the season. The 34-year-old quarterback looks to continue his success against his former team Sunday as the Cardinals visit the lowly Oakland Raiders. Palmer, who spent 1 1/2 seasons with Oakland before joining Arizona last year, missed three games with a damaged nerve in his shoulder after leading his team to a season-opening victory over San Diego but came back to throw for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-20 triumph over Washington.

The win kept the Cardinals perfect at home (3-0) and gave them sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Oakland appeared on the verge of posting its first victory of the season last week but surrendered 10 points over the final 5:52 of the fourth quarter - including a 1-yard touchdown run by Branden Oliver with 1:56 remaining - en route to a 31-28 loss to the Chargers. Derek Carr threw a franchise rookie-record four TD passes, but it was not enough to help the Raiders snap their 11-game losing streak.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Raiders +3.5. O/U: 44.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (4-1): Palmer has excelled against the AFC since joining Arizona, going 5-0 while completing 120-of-178 passes for 1,509 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception. Chandler Catanzaro was named the NFL's Special Teams Player of the Week as he went 3-for-3 to remain perfect on 14 field-goal attempts this season while adding three extra points. The rookie became the second member of the Cardinals to capture the honor this year, joining punt returner Ted Ginn Jr. (Week 2). The Cardinals are seeking their first 5-1 start since 1976, when the franchise was based in St. Louis and finished the season with a 10-4 record.

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (0-5): Oakland is looking to avoid its first 0-6 start since 1962. The club's losing streak is the second-longest in franchise history, behind only a 19-game slide from Nov. 11, 1961-Dec. 9, 1962. Darren McFadden is one touchdown away from becoming the eighth running back in franchise history with 30, while Charles Woodson needs one interception to tie Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas (58) for 11th place on the all-time list. Carr hopes to take advantage of Arizona's league-worst pass defense (309 yards per game) and figures to continue to receive great protection as Oakland has yielded only four sacks - second-fewest in the NFL.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona has not visited Oakland since Oct. 22, 2006, when Randy Moss had seven receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown in a 22-9 triumph by the Raiders.

2. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald enters with a reception in 154 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

3. Catanzaro is one conversion away from matching the NFL record for the longest streak by a kicker to start his rookie season set in 2012 by St. Louis' Greg Zuerlein.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 27, Raiders 24