The last remaining unbeaten squad in the NFL will put their 4-0 record to the test as the Philadelphia Eagles travel to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals. Join us for our NFL odds series, where our Eagles-Cardinals prediction and pick will be unveiled.
Hands down the most impressive team in the entire league through the first month of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles are thriving under second-year head coach Nick Sirianni with an extremely efficient offense and a stingy defense to boot. With the passing progression of QB Jalen Hurts in an attempt to become a true dual-threat quarterback, the city of Brotherly Love is buzzing at the possibility of this roster being championship contender worthy.
As for the Cardinals, Arizona would love nothing more to take a page out of the Eagles' approach to winning early in the season as they currently sit at 2-2. With a surplus of NFL teams sitting around that same mark through the first four games of the regular season, the importance of finding a way to come out victorious in this one could prove to be huge later in the calendar year.
Here are the Eagles-Cardinals NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Eagles-Cardinals Odds
Philadelphia Eagles: -5.5 (-106)
Arizona Cardinals: +5.5 (-114)
Over: 48.5 (-115)
Under: 48.5 (-105)
Why The Eagles Could Cover The Spread
Stating the obvious, Philadelphia has played flawlessly up to this point, but they are also 3-1 ATS thus far which has made them a popular pick among bettors. If they are going to tack on another covering of the spread on Sunday, then they will need to continue doing what they are best at. A year ago, the Eagles were a run-happy team that tried to impose their will more often than not. Now, with the ability to be more dangerous in the passing game, Philly's offensive attack has become that much more lethal.
Credit Jalen Hurts and his ability to put in the work to become more accurate, as Hurts has played at an MVP-caliber level and is a big reason why the Eagles are 4-0. Against the Jaguars a week ago, Hurts showed off his resiliency by shaking off an early-game pick-six and ended up amassing for nearly 250 yards of total offense. If the Eagles want to keep up with the Cardinals' ability to put up the points, then Hurts will need to be more effective as a passer compared to last week when he finished with a 26.2 QBR.
With that being said, while the offense has done its part by averaging 28.8 points per game, this ferocious defense is giving up only 305 yards per contest and is fresh off of generating a whopping five turnovers against Jacksonville. If this defense led by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can make life difficult for Kyler Murray, then the Eagles should feast in the Valley of the Sun all day long.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
Clearly, the Arizona Cardinals have shown glimpses of being one of the more talented squads in the National Football League, there has seemed to be a slight disconnect since Arizona started off 7-0 in 2021. Since then, the Cardinals have gone a collective 6-8 and now are in must-win mode to save head coach Kliff Kingsbury's job this season. If Arizona cannot punch its ticket to a postseason berth, then the Cardinals' best move may be to blow things up.
However, this is obviously worst-case scenario, as Arizona has a chance to bolster their season resume by dethroning the last of the unbeaten in the NFL. Certainly, the Cardinals are capable of not just that, but covering the spread as well. To accomplish this, it will need to be the Kyler Murray show at State Farm Stadium. Murray is the most electric playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, and if he can burn the Eagles with his legs, then Arizona may be able to put points up on the scoreboard often.
In regards to this defense, the Cardinals will no doubt have their hands full. In order to slow down Philly, the Cardinals have to continue blitzing the quarterback at a hefty amount. Thus far, Arizona's defense owns the second-highest blitz rate at 42.2% of dropbacks and brings the hurt on Hurts. The one thing that this defense has struggled with is covering opposing tight ends, as the aggressiveness on defense has left Arizona vulnerable to short but deadly strikes to tight ends in the middle of the field. It will be vital to work on this and make sure that Eagles TE Dallas Goedert is being accounted for.
Final Eagles-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
In the battle between the birds, only one will leave the desert with a win. While this game should not be short of offense, the Cardinals should have what it takes to cover in front of the home faithful.
Final Eagles-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Cardinals +5.5 (-114)
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