The Cardinals (+2.5) are set to welcome the Detroit Lions (-2.5) to Arizona. This late afternoon game is scheduled to get underway at 4:25 p.m. ET and FOX will broadcast the action.
Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals Betting Preview
Arizona is the home underdog in this NFC game and is currently being given 2.5 points. The Lions are also receiving -140 moneyline odds while the Cardinals are +120. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 40 points, and should one team can find paydirt early, it would likely produce a nice live betting opportunity.
This game’s over/under was initially placed at 41.5, but sharp bettors tend to be pushing that number lower.
The Lions are 6-6 against the spread (ATS) and are down 4.5 units so far in 2018. The team has posted an O/U record of 6-6. The Cardinals have lost 1.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 6-6 ATS and have an O/U record of 5-7.
The Lions have gone 4-8 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Cardinals are 3-9 SU.
The Lions are most-recently reeling from a 30-16 defeat to the Rams last week. Matthew Stafford completed 20-of-33 passes for 245 yards, along with one score and a pick. LeGarrette Blount (61 rushing yards on 16 attempts) led the ground attack in the loss while Bruce Ellington (seven receptions, 35 yards) and Levine Toilolo (four catches, 90 yards) manned the receiving duties.
The Arizona Cards are coming off of a 20-17 win over Green Bay in Week 13. The let the Packers tally 233 yards through the air and 98 more on the ground. Davante Adams had a productive showing in the loss, recording 93 yards on eight catches for Green Bay. For Arizona, Josh Rosen completed 11-of-26 passes for 149 yards. David Johnson (69 yards on 20 rush attempts) and Chase Edmonds (53 yards on five carries, two TDs) mounted the ground game in the win while Christian Kirk (three receptions, 54 yards) and Larry Fitzgerald (three catches, 48 yards) led the pass-catching attack.
Detroit’s run the ball on 39.1 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Arizona has a rush percentage of 43.3 percent. The Lions have produced 101 rush yards/game and have eight touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Cards are totaling 86 rush yards per game and have eight total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Cards may be the more disruptive team in the trenches. Their offensive line has yielded just 32 sacks while the D-line has logged 38 sacks. The Lions offensive line has given up 36 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing QBs on just 34 occasions.
The Lions offensive scheme has tallied 258 yards per game through the air overall and has 18 passing scores so far. The Cards have put up 173 pass yards per contest and have 12 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Detroit has let opponents rush for an average of 120 yards and pass for 254 yards per game. The Arizona defense has given up 241.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 140.9 yards per game on the ground. The Cards are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 6.17 to opponents, while the Lions have given up a 7.83 ANY/A.
Offensively, Stafford has put up 2,850 passing yards on the year, and has completed 264-of-401 attempts with 18 passing scores and nine interceptions. He has a 5.94 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 4.09 over the last two games.
In the other locker room, Josh Rosen has connected on 136-of-254 passes for 1,565 yards, nine TDs and 10 INTs. Rosen’s ANY/A sits at 4.01 for the season and 3.98 across his past two outings.
When these two teams met last year, Detroit got the victory over Arizona, 35-23.
RELATED: Week 14 NFL Betting Odds and Predictions
Betting Pick: Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals
SU Winner – Lions, ATS Winner – Lions, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Trends
The O/U for Detroit’s last game was 54. The under cashed in the team’s 30-16 loss to the Rams.
Detroit has produced 4.0 yards per carry over its last three outings and 4.3 over its last two.
Arizona has averaged 4.7 yards per carry over its last three games and 4.6 over its last two.
The Arizona offense has lost seven fumbles this season while Detroit has lost six.
Over its last three games, Detroit is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in each of those three.
Detroit has lost six of its last seven games SU, with a one-point victory over Carolina on November 18th representing the only win over that stretch.
The Over/Under for Arizona’s last game going into it was 41. The under cashed in the 20-17 win over Green Bay.
In its last three contests, Arizona is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The Lions offense has recorded four pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Cardinals have accounted for three such plays.
The Detroit defense has allowed seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Arizona has given up four such plays.
The Detroit offense has created nine rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Arizona has created four such runs.
The Lions defense has allowed nine rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Cardinals have given up 15 such runs.
The Arizona D has sacked opposing quarterbacks 38 times this year. Detroit has recorded 34 sacks.
*****
