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It's hard to believe Week 16 is already here! The Arizona Cardinals host one of the hottest teams in the AFC right now in the Indianapolis Colts. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Colts-Cardinals prediction and pick.
From the looks of it, It would seem like the Cardinals are the hotter team based on record. That isn't the case. The Colts are surging right now after starting the season 1-4. Winning seven of their last nine games, the Colts are currently the five seed in the AFC and are fresh off a huge win over the New England Patriots. The Colts ended the Pats' seven-game winning streak last Saturday and will be playing on Saturday again in Week 16.
For more insight on the Colts-Cardinals matchup in Week 16, listen below:
Arizona is coming off their worst loss maybe in the last two seasons. The Detroit Lions dominated the Cardinals from start to finish and there wasn't anything the Cardinals could do. The Lions won just their second game of the season and it comes against two potential playoff teams, one for sure. This matchup is going to be exciting to watch because both teams have high-powering offenses and an elite defense.
Here is how FanDuel set the Colts-Cardinals line for Saturday night.
NFL Odds: Colts-Cardinals Odds
Indianapolis Colts: +1.5 (-110)
Arizona Cardinals: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 48.5 (-112)
Under: 48.5 (-108)
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Why The Colts Could Cover The Spread
Both of these teams are great against the spread at 9-5 on the season. This is a very doable spread for the Colts to cover. The Colts are in the top-15 on offense and defense and so it could be won on either side of the ball. With covid-19 taking players away from the team, it's hard to really know who will actually suit up and play. If the Colts have a majority of their starters then they should be in a good position to win and cover. Jonothan Taylor is the NFL's leading rusher this season and will end the year that way. He is two touchdowns away from the Colts' single-season record at 20 held by Hall of Famer Lenny Moore in 1964. If Taylor is on his game then the Colts will be right where they want to be.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
The Cardinals are very capable of covering this spread despite their poor performance last week. DeAndre Hopkins is out with a knee injury and so it's going to continue to be tougher for Kyler Murray and the offense. The Cardinals' defense is the major factor in this matchup. They will need to stop Taylor and the Colts' run game or they will be in a bad position. Arizona contains the seventh-ranked defense in the NFL, so it's going to be exciting to see how they approach the game plan to shut down Taylor. Arizona is better against the pass than the run so that will need to be emphasized this week. Kyler Murray will need to protect the ball because the Colts lead the NFL in turnover margin at +14.
Final Colts-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
This is a very tough game to predict. The Cardinals are one of the better teams in the league but the Colts are playing extremely well. With that being said, I'm taking the Colts to cover the spread and beat the Cardinals on the road. I imagine Taylor will rush for over 100 yards and find the end zone like he's done all season long. I'm not sure if that will be enough but Arizona has more issues going on. A win for the Colts could really boost their chances at winning the AFC South division.
Final Colts-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Colts +1.5 (-110)
