The Philadelphia Eagles will be hosting the Arizona Cardinals, giving both teams an opportunity an opportunity to cover some ground in the divisional race. At 3-1, the Eagles have not only shocked top online sportsbook players by jumping to an early lead in the NFC East, they’ve also convinced US online sportsbooks that they are betting favorites over the Cardinals. Granted, Arizona hasn’t looked that great this season and stumbles into this weekend’s matchup at .500.
At 2-2, the Cardinals are struggling to find their identity. After David Johnson suffered a serious wrist injury that would keep him sidelined for several months, Arizona knew they would have to turn elsewhere to find offensive production. Unfortunately, no one has really stepped up as the Cardinals come into this Sunday’s matchup with the league’s 22nd worst scoring offense. Needless to say, Arizona is going to have a hard time matching the raw explosiveness of Philadelphia’s offense. Let’s take a look at what kind of turnout the sportsbook online odds are predicting.
Betting Arizona
The Cardinals are coming off an 18-15 win over NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, that has allowed Arizona to stay somewhat relevant in the division. Right now, the NFC West is held off by the 3-1 Los Angeles Rams, something few US online sportsbook players could’ve anticipated. It’s still early in the season, but the Cardinals can’t really use another loss. In addition to putting them under .500 on the season, they would fall even further behind the Rams. Considering they also share a division with the Seahawks, Arizona cannot afford another loss.
Without Johnson in the backfield, the Cardinals cannot seem to run the ball. Arizona is currently ranking last in the NFL in terms of run offense, with a measly average of 57 yards gained on the ground. Considering how strong the leaders of the NFC East are against the run, fans can expect Arizona to get shut out on the ground. Without a running game, Arizona’s passing game will also struggle. Bottom line, stick to Philadelphia if you’re betting on this game.
Betting Philadelphia
The Eagles are doing a great job of holding down the East so far this season. The Dirty Birds have already picked up 2 wins over divisional opponents, beating the Washington Redskins 30-17 in their 2017 debut and picking up a 27-24 win over the New York Giants two weeks ago. Philadelphia found some early season success last year before losing steam halfway through the season. This weekend will give the Birds an opportunity to show that they are for real.
The strength of the Eagles lies in their offense as well as their ability to stop the run. Philadelphia flies into this Week 5 matchup with the NFL’s 7th best scoring offense. Additionally, the Eagles have the league’s 3rd best total offense, 11th best passing offense and 3rd best running game. Defensively the Eagles could use some improvements as they are allowing more points than 20 other teams in the NFL. However, Philadelphia is No. 2 against the run, something that will certainly come in hand down the road.
US Online Sportsbook Odds:
Arizona Cardinals +6 ½ (-110) 45 (-109) +255
Philadelphia Eagles -6 ½ (-110) 45 (-111) -313
Tomorrow. #AZvsPHI pic.twitter.com/LD0iGYfZMQ
— LincolnFinancialFld (@LFFStadium) October 7, 2017
