We have a battle of two teams that are on opposite sides of the spectrum in Week 15 as the Arizona Cardinals will travel to take on the Detroit Lions. Arizona comes into this game having lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, giving them a 10-3 record entering this week.
Following a double-digit loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 13, Detroit now owns a dismal 1-11-1 record, putting them in a prime position to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. While the Lions aren’t oozing with talent, they are even more shorthanded due to injuries on both sides of the ball and a COVID-19 outbreak amongst the secondary.
This is a perfect spot for the Cardinals to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Rams in Week 14. As for the Lions, they could try to spoiler against the teams they face, while trying to put together a foundation for next season as they have already been eliminated from playoff contention this year.
Continue reading below to see my Cardinals vs. Lions predictions, along with my favorite bets.
Please note that all odds are current as of 1 p.m. EST on Friday, December 17.
Cardinals vs Lions Prediction
Despite Arizona’s recent defeat to Los Angeles, make no mistake about it, they are still one of the best teams in the NFL. Kyler Murray may have fallen back in the MVP race, but he’s still playing at an All-Pro level for the Cardinals thus far.
James Conner has been a massive free-agent signing for Arizona, as he’s second in the league in rushing touchdowns, behind Jonathan Taylor. DeAndre Hopkins (knee) has unfortunately been ruled out for a few more weeks, leaving the Cardinals with Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and Rondale Moore at wide receiver.
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On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona has an edge-rushing duo in Chandler Jones and Markus Golden that has caused issues for offenses. The Cardinals are facing a familiar face in Jared Goff, who they squared off with twice a year when he was on the Rams.
There are bound to be multiple turnovers forced by Arizona’s defense on Goff and Detroit’s lackadaisical offensive unit. We could see plenty of easy points scored by the Cardinals while the Lions struggled to muster up many points, which isn’t a new development.
It remains to be seen if D’Andre Swift or Jamaal Williams is able to return for the Lions this week. With the Cardinals motivated to get back into the win column and compete for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, it’s tough to envision the Lions putting up much of a fight in Week 15.
Prediction: Cardinals 38, Lions 13
Cardinals vs Lions Best Bets
Skyler Carlin 2021 NFL Betting Record: 4-12-0
Best Bet: Cardinals -12.5 (-110) at TwinSpires
Wager: 1 Unit
You would think by looking at Arizona’s 10-3 record that they are strong on the road and at home. But surprisingly, the Cardinals have performed much better as the visiting team, making home-field advantage a non-priority for Arizona in the playoff race.
Despite the Lions being 1-11-1 on the season, they are a solid 8-5 against the spread through their first 13 games. However, the Cardinals have covered the spread in all seven of their road contests up to this point.
Of Detroit’s 11 losses on the season, four of them have come by 18-plus points. The Lions are coming off of a 28-point defeat against the Broncos, who aren’t nearly as lethal on offense as the Cardinals.
For Arizona, in their 10 wins, seven of them have come by double-digits. Given the circumstances of both of these teams, it feels somewhat easy to predict a win for the Cardinals that is by at least two touchdowns - especially coming off of a loss.
Best Bet: Over 47.5 Total Points (-107) at TwinSpires
Wager: 1 Unit
When looking at the projected total of 47.5 points, it may seem like a lot between two teams that are on completely different talent levels. That being said, the Cardinals are capable of scoring all of the points themselves if they can create some opportunities on defense.
Entering this week, the Lions give up the fourth-most points per game at 27.2, while the Cardinals average the fifth-most points per game as an offense at 28.2. There aren’t many outcomes I see happening in this game that result in Arizona scoring fewer than 30 points.
We also have the odds on our side as the Cardinals have hit the over in four out of their last five games and in all six of their last six meetings with the Lions. Over their first 13 games, Detroit has surrendered 34-plus points to their opponents five times, and with Arizona likely forcing Goff into making mistakes, we could see 40-plus points from the Cardinals.
With the Lions likely playing from behind, we could get some garbage time points from Detroit, helping us hit the over.
Thank you for reading our Cardinals vs. Lions Predictions! For more NFL betting tips, check out our NFL Week 15 Best Bets.
