Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals Betting Preview
Unwind from your Christmas celebrations Saturday with an evening matchup of Super Bowl contenders as the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) square off with the Arizona Cardinals (10-4). The Cardinals will host this one at State Farm Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 pm ET.
The Colts have been surging lately as they have won two in a row and five of their last six. Last week, they took down the red hot New England Patriots, 27-17.
In the win, Carson Wentz was essentially a non-factor as he threw for just 57 yards. He did have a touchdown, but he also had an interception.
The Colts really dominated on the ground. Jonathan Taylor rushed 29 times for 170 yards and a score.
While the Colts have been playing well, Arizona has been struggling lately. They enter this one, having lost two in a row, including a 30-12 loss to the lowly Detroit Lions last week.
Kyler Murray threw for 257 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the loss. His leading receiver last week was Christian Kirk, who had nine receptions for 94 yards and a score.
The Cardinals are the slight favorites playing at home. They are -118 to win while the Colts’ moneyline sits at +100. The spread features Indianapolis +1.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 48.5.
More Odds
The Colts trail the Titans in the AFC South and are just +500 to win the division. Arizona is the favorite to win the NFC West at -160, but they are trying to hold off the Los Angeles Rams.
In terms of the Super Bowl, the Cardinals have the eighth-best odds of winning it all at +1500. The Colts are right behind them at +1900 to win Super Bowl LVI.
By The Numbers
Both of these teams rank in the top ten in offense. The Colts rank third, averaging 28.4 points per game. Arizona ranks eighth, averaging 27 points (22.7 at home).
Defensively, it is the Cardinals with the edge. They rank fifth in scoring defense allowing opponents 20.3 points per game (22.7 at home). The Colts rank ninth, allowing 21.4 points (17.7 on the road).
Colts Trying To Secure Playoff Spot
At 8-6, the Colts sit firmly in a Wild Card spot as they would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Still, they are trying to fight for the division, but they sit a game behind the Titans and would lose the tiebreaker with Tennessee.
The offense for the Colts is built around running back Jonathan Taylor. He has rushed 270 times for 1,518 yards and a whopping 17 touchdowns. He also has 36 receptions for 336 yards and another two scores.
His phenomenal season puts him with the third-best odds of winning the NFL MVP at +850.
Under center is quarterback Carson Wentz. In his first season with the Colts, Wentz has thrown for 3,005 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Arizona Trying To Get Back On Track
Arizona has been scuffling a bit as of late, and if they aren’t careful, they could lose the top spot in the NFC West to the Rams. One area they have to improve is their play at home, where they are just 3-3 this season.
Leading the way for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is quarterback Kyler Murray. In 11 games this season, Murray has thrown for 3,039 yards, 20 touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He has also rushed for 270 yards and another five scores.
Unfortunately, Murray is without his top receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, who is out for the rest of the regular season after having knee surgery.
Without Hopkins, Christian Kirk (62 receptions, 812 yards, five touchdowns) and A.J. Green (46 receptions, 718 yards, three touchdowns) are Murray’s go-to receivers.
Take The Colts And The Points
It is just hard to overlook the trends in this one. The Cardinals have been struggling this season while the Colts are playing well right when they need to.
Throw on top of that the fact that Arizona has struggled at home this season, and this could be a game that the Colts steal on the road.
Don’t be surprised if they win this one outright, but at the very least, there is a lot of value in taking the Colts at +1.5.
