NFL Picks: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals

Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1 SU, 5-8 ATS) vs. Arizona Cardinals (7-6 SU, 6-7 ATS)

Week 15 NFL

Date/Time: Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 4:05PM EST

Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

TV: Fox

Point Spread: PHI +7/ARI -7 (Get the best odds – Why pay more for odds at -110 when you could be laying -105?)

Over/Under Total: 49.5

The Philadelphia Eagles come to State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a key NFC matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams are coming off wildly-successful weeks. The Cardinals were able to atone for some recent tough times with a big 26-7 road-win over the streaking Giants. For the Eagles, a team desperately in need of something positive, Sunday’s 24-21 win over the favored Saints was big—especially in the first NFL start for QB Jalen Hurts. They look for more this weekend but face an Arizona team that is playing for high stakes, with the playoffs in the balance. Who can get it done on Sunday?

Promise for Philly

Though no one is out of it in the NFC East, to be two games behind Washington might be a hill too steep to climb. They do get Dallas and Washington in the last two weeks, so if they keep it up, who knows? The formula with Carson Wentz had gotten stuck in the mud for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter now. With Jalen Hurts behind center, the offense was by no means a high-flying one, but it wasn’t just out there meandering aimlessly either. Hurts seemed to inject some life into the offense, namely the run-game, with Hurts peeling off 106 yards rushing, while Miles Sanders added 115 and two touchdowns. And for once, we saw them give the “D” some breathing room to do their thing, as they held the Saints to just 21 points. Seeing them thrive offensively against a good New Orleans defense was really a sight for sore eyes for Philly backers and fans.

It’s been frustrating for the Eagles and their supporters, as they watch the Eagles blow game after game. The defense is doing their part, sometimes to a greater degree than others. But in a division where just a few more wins would have them in a great spot, it’s been painful watching the offense spinning their wheels. Not that Hurts getting 24 points against what was probably a lackadaisical Saints’ team on Sunday signals a revival for this side of the ball. But it’s definitely a good sign. However, Hurts is likely to be more of a threat with his legs than his arm, which actually matches up better with the Arizona “D,” whose run-stop lags some behind their pass-defense.

Cardinals Back on Track?

They certainly looked dominant in a road-spot against a Giants team that had been in winning form. The game was never in question, utterly dominated by the Cardinals on defense. Haason Reddick had five sacks, as the defense had eight on the game. It was also a good bounce-back game for the Cardinals’ offense. Kyler Murray was 24-for-35 for 244 yards and didn’t turn the ball over. Kenyan Drake had a good running day with a TD, and DeAndre Hopkins got back into the swing of things with nine catches and 136 yards.

Still, coming off three straight losses, something still seems muted with the Cardinals as of late, especially on offense. The defense looks to be back on track after some uneven performances over the last six games or so. That could also have to do with a Giants’ offensive line that looks to have come apart at the seams. At any rate, the defense faces an offense this week that has struggled for most of the season, despite positive signs last week. An Arizona backer in this game might be more concerned about how the Arizona offense will perform against an Eagles’ defense that could get better with more support on offense. For Arizona, it’s always a matter if they can make it work on offense in spite of their offensive line, which frankly isn’t very good. Against the Eagles, that could be a definite sticking point.

After Arizona started the season at 6-3, some people may have ran with the story too hard. This is the second season of this Cardinals’ revamp, where there are a lot of youngsters in key spots. They seriously upgraded their team this season, but a true-blue contender they are not. They could get it together, maybe win a playoff game or go into the tank and not even make the postseason. Neither scenario should elicit much surprise, and that’s part of being a team on the rise that isn’t there yet. After beating Seattle and Miami, people started to fancy them as something they’re not and lost some bets along the way.

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Matchup Problems for the Eagles

Most surprising with the Eagles’ win over the Saints on Sunday was how a dilapidated offensive line missing most of its key ingredients held up against what had been a peaking Saints’ defensive front. The Philly line had been suffering injuries and waning in recent weeks Not that last week’s game makes Arizona a feared defense, but they can bring the heat up front and should be trouble on the Philly O-line. Having Hurts in there with his mobility obviously helped last week, but against another mobile QB in Daniel Jones last week, this Arizona defense was dominant. Against an Arizona defense that is in an urgent state-of-mind, we’ll see how Philly’s offensive line holds up this week.

Take the Points on the Road Dog

It didn’t work last week betting on an NFC East team against Arizona that looked good the previous week. And maybe catching these teams on their schedule is medicine for an Arizona team trying to find its way back. I just sense a more-physical challenge for the Cardinals than what they saw last week, with the Philly run-game resonating some in this spot. I’ll take the Eagles and the points.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Philadelphia Eagles plus 7 points. Bet it for free at a book that offers a 50% real cash bonus, the best live betting platform on the planet, rebates on all your bets; win or lose and FAST hassle-free payouts —> Bovada Sportsbook!