The Arizona Cardinals return to the desert to face an undefeated former division rival in the Philadelphia Eagles. Will they keep the momentum going?
The Arizona Cardinals, for some odd reason, just play well on the road, having suffered just two losses (one in the playoffs) over the past season and a half. Unfortunately, they will have home-field advantage against the NFL’s best team in the Philadelphia Eagles, and that might not play so well into their favor.
Or will it? The Cardinals got a few things right last week against the Panthers, the first of which being a backs-by-committee approach. The Eagles, despite owning a top ten rushing defense, have also allowed 5.0 yards per carry, indicating their ability to stop the run is not as good as most might think. And it may give the Cardinals a huge advantage in this contest.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Eagles Odds – Week 5
Per Fan Duel, the Arizona Cardinals are currently (+5.5) favorites as of Tuesday, October 4th at home against the Eagles. Their current over/under sits at 49.5, and the Cardinals hold a +194 moneyline. The moneyline for the Eagles is -235.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Eagles Prediction – Week 5
The Cardinals vs. Eagles matchup will come down to who can control the ball the longest. The much-improved Arizona defense has shown they can keep Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks like Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford in check, while the Eagles defense, minus their 5.0 yards per carry allowed, have the third-best total defense in football.
If head coach Kliff Kingsbury realizes the weakness in the Eagles rushing defense, he could once again opt to use the backs-by-committee approach and systemically melt down Philadelphia. This will keep the ball in his offense’s hands, and give quarterback Kyler Murray several chances to go over the top once the opposing defense creeps forward.
Though he signed an extension last offseason, Kingsbury can still wind up on the hot seat. So look for the oft-criticized head coach to go with what has worked, as opposed to what he thinks will work, in this one. And it can lead to a Cardinals upset over the NFL’s best.
So I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Cardinals win this one in a 24-21 thriller, putting them at 3-2 with just one game remaining before star receiver DeAndre Hopkins returns to the lineup. And it might just set the stage for a better second half of the NFL season than what we’ve grown accustomed to.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.