Two teams looking to bolster their playoff hopes will meet on Christmas when the Indianapolis Colts take on the Arizona Cardinals in a key interconference matchup. The Colts (8-6), second place in the AFC South, entered the weekend as the fifth seed in their conference. A win would also keep the pressure on the first-place Tennessee Titans. The Cardinals (10-4) have dropped two in a row to fall to the fourth seed in the NFL playoff picture and are tied for first with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.
Kickoff from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Arizona is a one-point favorite in the latest Cardinals vs. Colts odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 49. Before you make any Colts vs. Cardinals bets, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. The model enters Week 16 of the 2021 season on an incredible 133-96 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has simulated Colts vs. Cardinals 10,000 times and just revealed its NFL expert picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting trends for Colts vs. Cardinals:
- Colts vs. Cardinals spread: Cardinals -1
- Colts vs. Cardinals over-under: 49 points
- Colts vs. Cardinals money line: Indianapolis -105, Arizona -115
- IND: Colts are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games as road underdogs
- ARI: Cardinals are 9-5 against the spread this season
Why the Cardinals can cover
Kyler Murray continues to be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league. In last week’s loss at Detroit, Murray passed for 257 yards and one touchdown. He has 250-plus passing yards in four of his five home starts this season and is the only quarterback with 3,000-plus passing yards, 20-plus touchdowns and five or more rushing touchdowns in his past two seasons. Murray has eclipsed 300 yards passing three times in 2021, including a 400-yard performance in a 34-33 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2.
Running back James Conner, who is questionable with a heel injury, has played well at home with seven rushing touchdowns in six games at State Farm Stadium. He’ll look for his sixth home game in a row with a rushing TD. He had a rushing touchdown in his last game against Indianapolis on Dec. 27, 2020, as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and leads the NFC with 14 rushing touchdowns. Last week against the Detroit Lions, he had 70 yards from scrimmage, including 39 rushing. A week earlier against the Los Angeles Rams, Conner had 125 yards from scrimmage with rushing two touchdowns.
Why the Colts can cover
Despite that, Arizona is not a lock to cover the Colts vs. Cardinals spread. That’s because the Colts are one of the hottest teams in the league, having won seven of their last nine games, including two in a row. A major reason for that is the play of running back Jonathan Taylor, an MVP-candidate who leads the league with 19 touchdowns, including 17 rushing. Taylor tore apart New England’s defense last week to the tune of 170 yards rushing on 29 carries (5.9 average) and one touchdown.
Carson Wentz is also having a strong season, and is one of just three quarterbacks (Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers) with 20 or more touchdown passes (23) and six or fewer interceptions (six). In his only career start against the Cardinals, Wentz passed for 304 yards and four touchdowns for a 128.3 rating as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 8, 2017. In six road starts in 2021, Wentz has nine touchdowns, including eight passing, against zero interceptions for a 101.8 rating. He has two or more touchdown passes and a 100 or better rating in two of three starts against NFC West teams this year.
How to make Colts vs. Cardinals picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under the total, projecting the teams to combine for 48 points. It also says one side of the spread cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations.
So who wins Cardinals vs. Colts during the NFL Christmas Day 2021 schedule? And which side cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cardinals vs. Colts spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that returned over $7,000 on its NFL picks over the last six seasons, and find out.
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