The Arizona Cardinals fell to 4-7 with a brutal 38-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. Now the Cardinals return home looking to get back on track in a must-win game against a Washington Redskins team that is currently holding down the final wild card spot in the NFC. Arizona might already be out of contention in the NFC but they are 2.5-point favorites at home against the Redskins with their backs against the wall heading in to Week 14.
Moneyline: Arizona -140
Handicap/Spread Odds: ARI -2.5
Total O/U: 49.5
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 10/12/14 | WAS 20 – ARI 30 | ARI -5 | O 47 |
| 09/18/11 | ARI 21 – WAS 22 | ARI 4.5 | U 44.5 |
| 09/21/08 | ARI 17 – WAS 24 | WAS -3 | U 43.5 |
| 10/21/07 | ARI 19 – WAS 21 | ARI 9 | O 35 |
| 12/11/05 | WAS 17 – ARI 13 | PUSH 4 | U 40 |
On The Redskins Side of the Ball (6-4-1 Record, 8-3 ATS)
Washington fell to the rival Dallas Cowboys 31-26 on Thanksgiving Day last Thursday but still covered as 5.5-point underdogs to improve to 4-0 against the spread over their last four outings. Unfortunately for the Redskins, that won’t help them much in the actual standings so they will be in a desperate spot this week to open a tough final stretch. Washington will play three of its final five games on the road including trips to Arizona and Philadelphia in back-to-back weeks and they need to be at their best on both sides of the football. Kirk Cousins impressed with 449 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s loss to Dallas and if he can play mistake-free football this week then the Redskins will have a legitimate shot at winning this game. However, the Washington defense still needs to be better after it was torched for three rushing touchdowns against the Cowboys.
Last 5 Results:
| 11/24/16 | @DAL | L 26-31 | W 5.5 | O 53 |
| 11/20/16 | GB | W 42-24 | W -3 | O 48 |
| 11/13/16 | MIN | W 26-20 | W -2.5 | O 42 |
| 10/30/16 | @CIN | T 27-27 | W 3 | O 49 |
| 10/23/16 | @DET | L 17-20 | L -1 | U 50 |
On The Cardinals Side of the Ball (4-6-1 Record, 3-8 ATS)
The Cardinals have been outscored 68-43 in back-to-back losses to Minnesota and Atlanta without many positives at all to take from either side of the football. Star running back David Johnson is questionable for this week’s game with an injury and even if he plays, he will not be at 100-percent. Meanwhile, Carson Palmer’s decline continued last week as he completed just 25-of-45 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and two sacks. Although many people want to pin the decline on him (it’s very well possible that he’s a fading commodity), the bigger issue has been the offensive line. Palmer rarely has time to throw or make decisions. That’s evidenced by the fact that the Cardinals have allowed 33 sacks, which is the third-most in the NFL this season.
The Cardinals need more from the quarterback position but Palmer has struggled with consistency all season and that is a big reason why they are 4-6-1.
Last 5 Results:
| 11/27/16 | @ ATL | L 19-38 | L 4 | O 49 |
| 11/20/16 | @ MIN | L 24-30 | L 2 | O 39.5 |
| 11/13/16 | SF | W 23-20 | L -13.5 | U 46.5 |
| 10/30/16 | @ CAR | L 20-30 | L 2.5 | O 45.5 |
| 10/23/16 | SEA | T 6-6 | L -2.5 | U 43 |
Quick Analysis
This will be a matchup of teams trending in opposite directions according to their recent ATS numbers. Arizona has posted an 0-5 mark against the spread over its last five games while Washington is 4-0 against the spread over its last four games. The Redskins are 8-2-1 straight up and 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog, so the numbers indicate they should be able to keep this game close at the very least with a legitimate shot to win straight up.
Prediction
Washington has everything to play for this week with a chance to improve to 7-4-1 and keep its playoff hopes alive. They are currently the second Wild Card team as it stands right now. Meanwhile, Arizona has been absolutely awful and while they are still technically alive in the Wild Card race, they will be in tough to turn things around at 4-6-1. However, it is do or die for them. They can’t afford to lose to the very team that they’re chasing.
The Redskins have been extremely impressive ATS all season so we will give them the benefit of the doubt heading in to a must-win game against a Cardinals’ team that has really underwhelmed this season.
Pick: WAS +2.5
Note: Lines subject to change leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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