It’s the showdown of the birds as the Eagles take on the Cardinals in Arizona. Philadelphia is the last undefeated team this season as they boast a 4-0 record, while the Cards are 2-2 but will know they are fortunate to even have 2 wins on the board. Regardless, you can always expect a raucous atmosphere at State Farm Stadium and Arizona should give Philly all it can handle as the Eagles look to stay perfect. Our NFL expert has picks, predictions and best bets for Eagles vs Cardinals, so let’s break it all down.
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NFL Week 5 Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals prediction
The Eagles have been red-hot this season on offense, both through the air and on the ground. Jalen Hurts is tearing it up as a dual threat and his receiving weapons of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are wreaking havoc on defenses. However, the Cardinals have shown steady improvement and Kyler Murray still has the ability to make a play out of nothing. The Eagles should be able to get the better of their opponents, but don’t expect it to be a cakewalk against this plucky Cards team.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals spread, odds & betting lines
Point Spread: Eagles -5.5, Cardinals +5.5
Total Points Over/Under: 48.5 points
Money Line Odds: Eagles -240, Cardinals +198
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Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals expert picks
Eagles vs Cardinals against the spread pick: Cardinals +5.5 (-110) over Eagles
It’s tough to say anyone is playing better football than the Eagles right now. They are undefeated through the first four weeks and are 3-1 against the spread, with the one blemish being that Week 1 win over the Lions where it looked as if they took their foot off the gas and let the Lions creep back in with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that were meaningless in the overall outcome. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 2-2 on the season and 2-2 against the spread, with all the losses coming at home. We know there is a belief that west coast teams traveling east are at a disadvantage due to time zone changes and internal body clocks being off, but that same belief isn’t usually held for teams traveling in the opposite direction. Still, this feels like a tough spot to take the road team laying points.
Something to keep in mind, when looking at the Cardinals, is that injuries have kept their offensive firepower at less than 100 percent. Running back James Conner has been banged up, the receiving corps has been limited to Marquise Brown and Greg Dortch and the offensive line had lost a few components just before the season opened. Still, they’ve remained competitive and are slowly getting back to full strength. Kyler Murray has done plenty to carry them this far.
On the Eagles side, this is more about their defense holding firm than it is worrying about how the offense performs. We know Jalen Hurts is having an MVP-like start to the season, and we expect them to score. But the defense hasn’t dealt with a quarterback like Murray who can do what he does both on the ground and through the air. The combination may just allow Arizona to keep this game close.
Be sure to check out our full Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals predictions
Eagles vs Cardinals Over/Under totals pick: Over 48.5 (-110)
The offensive firepower for both teams starts with the quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts is having an MVP-type season already, while Kyler Murray has also done damage to the opposition both through the air and on the ground. The question is, as these defenses prepare for one another, do they have an advantage being able to practice against a guy whose skill-set is so similar to the one they are playing? Everyone loves a good, old-fashioned shootout, but the under has hit in five of the eight games these teams have played in 2022.
Defensively, these two clubs are on opposite sides of the spectrum. The Eagles are soft against the run and strong against the pass. The Cardinals’ secondary has taken a bit of a beating this year, but they’ve held up well against the run. If the Cardinals are going to keep this game close and possibly upset the undefeated Eagles, they are going to have to rely heavily on James Conner and Kyler Murray’s legs. They just need to sustain several drives and keep the Eagles offense off the field.
Unfortunately, Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense doesn’t feature the run, and an average of 12 carries per game doesn’t feel like enough to get the job done. With the way the Eagles passing attack has been, you can expect them to come into Arizona with a strong passing game plan in mind. The Cardinals will simply try to follow suit, and this one could get explosive in the second half when both defenses tire out.
Eagles vs Cardinals best player prop bet: DeVonta Smith over 3.5 receptions (-130)
Smith is the definition of a “boom or bust” player prop guy. He’s hit this in 2 of 4 games this season and gets the best matchup of anyone on the team in Cardinals DB Marco Wilson. Byron Murphy will likely tail AJ Brown around the field like he did Davante Adams in Week 2 (where he locked him up for 2-12 yards). Smith is still 2nd on the team in targets at nearly 23% target share and this game has the potential to be a shootout. With Smith being one of the better route runners in the league, I expect him to find Smith open early and often.
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