Arizona at Dallas Week 17 Odds & Picks
Arizona Cardinals (10-5 SU, 9-6 ATS) vs. Dallas Cowboys (11-4 SU, 12-3 ATS)
Week 17 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, January 2, 2022 at 4:25PM EST
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV: Fox
Point Spread: ARI +5.5/DAL -5.5 (Betanysports – They allow you to bet on games at -105 here instead of the more expensive -110 that you’re laying, Why pay more? Start betting smarter!)
Over/Under Total: 49.5
The Arizona Cardinals take on the Dallas Cowboys in a key NFC pairing at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. Big things are at stake. For the Cardinals, it’s a chance to climb back into the division race, the run for the top-seed, and a chance to vanquish some recent demons that threaten to derail them at the worst time. Their loss last week to the Colts, 22-16, was their third loss in a row. And it might not be easy to get well this week against the 11-win Cowboys, fresh off their dismantling of Washington on Sunday Night Football, 56-14, their fourth win in a row as they kick it into high gear for a playoff run. Who can get it done on Sunday in this high-stakes matchup in Arlington?
Are the Cardinals OK?
Any longtime football fan can reflect on innumerable times when a team got off to a fast start and made themselves a contender, only to start fading out to the point where they’re barely a factor by the time the playoffs come. Either way, the Cardinals are a team that had to cover a lot of ground to emerge as contenders in any form this season. Shoveling dirt on them now could be a mistake. What happened to Detroit doesn’t make the Cardinals the first team this season to have a miserable week. And one-score losses to the Rams and a Colts team that has been a lot better perhaps isn’t the end of the world. Having it all take place consecutively and seeing them not immediately respond well to crisis, however, is troubling. And none of it bodes well heading into this matchup on Sunday.
The Cardinals’ defense has been a bit sideways the last several weeks. Always iffy this season against the run, that’s more to be expected. But giving up good passing days to opposing quarterbacks has seen this defense slipping some lately. They can still get big plays, with a pass-rush that can still bring the heat, in addition to a stout and playmaking secondary. But that stoutness has ebbed in recent weeks and the Dallas’ aerial offense would loom as a major threat this week to be sure.
While not necessarily pelted by injuries on the offensive side of the ball, it has proven to be a disruptive force for the Cardinals. Murray should be up-to-speed after missing time, but it’s been hard finding continuity in a cast that has shifting fortunes amidst all the injury setbacks. They have a lot of depth at RB and WR, but is seems there is some difficulty in defining the roles. Guys are always missing time and while it would seem they still have enough to make it work, the disruption to the continuity and the clarity of roles seems to have them in stitches lately.
Tough Matchup for Cardinals?
Even under ideal circumstances, this could be hard, but with the Cardinals in bad form, there are things the Cowboys bring to the table that should make even the most ardent Arizona apologists quiver this week. The variety of the Dallas offense can be suffocating, On the ground, there’s Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, the legs of QB Dak Prescott, Corey Clement, and whoever else contributes. Aerially, they have receivers-galore with CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and more. Tight end Dalton Schultz is ultra-useful and other guys chime in, as well. Like Arizona, they have a lot of contributors bolstered by a multi-faceted quarterback. But with a better line and a more dialed-in formula, Dallas is the team seeing better results now.
If the Arizona offense continues having trouble finding a groove or making mistakes, the Dallas “D” can really make them pay. The pass-rush and guys like Micah Parsons can certainly surface against an Arizona O-line that hasn’t been getting great results on that front. And with ball-hawks like Trevon Diggs, any errant Murray throws could be seized upon. Seeing the Arizona offense hitting a wall lately against defenses like Detroit and Indy is downright troubling for the purposes of the defense the Cardinals will face on Sunday.
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What Arizona Needs
The Kliff Kingsbury/Kyler Murray pairing has gotten the Cardinals to this point. And it might be what ends up determining how far they go this season. When production itself isn’t a problem on offense, Kingsbury and Company need to dial up better stuff. We see big plays and then nothing on first and second down and pretty soon, it’s a wrap. We’re seeing a weird shift in play-calling from earlier in the season. And Murray also has to be better, start hitting those big throws, and show some of that earlier-season accuracy we saw. With no DeAndre Hopkins, guys like Christian Kirk and AJ Green can’t be content to be complimentary receivers and need to take the lead. That two-headed monster at running back in James Conner and Chase Edmonds needs to surface more regularly. It’s week 17 and this offense needs to be in-tune or stand the chance of being left behind.
Take the Points
While Arizona’s current state is troublesome, perhaps there is too stark of an image in this game. Combine Arizona’s recent high-profile failings with Dallas’ attention-getting splattering of Washington and their recent surge and it sets up an image that might surpass reality just a little bit. I think some of that same mettle that enabled Arizona to jump up a few levels this season will materialize in light of the stakes of this matchup. With a chance to atone for this rough patch and put themselves firmly back on the right track, I see Arizona doing well enough to at least keep this respectable and cover the spread.
Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Arizona Cardinals plus 5.5 points. This will likely be a good game to partake in live betting! Find the absolute best live wagering platform on the web at Bovada Sportsbook! They give you a 50% bonus and your credit card WILL work there for deposits!
