Cardinals vs. Lions: NFL Week 15 betting odds, preview, and pick

Arizona will look to remain undefeated on the road this season, as the Cardinals travel to Detroit to face the lowly Lions on Sunday in Week 15 of the NFL season.

Cardinals let top seed slip away

On Monday night, Arizona entered its game with the Rams one victory away from clinching a playoff spot and would have all but sewn up the NFC West with a win.

Instead, the Cardinals left the game clinging to a one-game lead in the division, slipping from the NFC’s top seed down to third, following a 30-23 home defeat. The Rams now own the head-to-head tiebreak with the Cardinals, putting Arizona under pressure down the stretch to win out.

Kyler Murray played a solid game, throwing for 383 yards and rushing for 61, but did not find the end zone and threw two crucial interceptions. The first pick came inside the Rams’ five-yard line, costing his team first-half points, and the second came on the Cardinals’ second play after halftime, setting the Rams up for an easy scoring opportunity and a 27-13 lead just five minutes after being tied at the break.

Arizona saw yet another scoring chance go by the wayside when DeAndre Hopkins dropped his first pass all season on 4th-and-short inside the Rams’ 15-yard line later in the half.

Aaron Donald made life miserable for Murray, sacking him three times, and the Rams shut down James Conner to the tune of just 31 yards on 13 carries.

Thankfully for the Cardinals, they can rebound by hitting the road, where they have not only won all seven times this season, but have covered the spread as well. Favored by nearly two touchdowns, they cannot afford to look ahead to the Colts next weekend.

Hopkins is likely to miss the game and will have an MRI on Tuesday for a leg injury he suffered against the Rams. Conner is also questionable and will have an MRI performed on his ankle.

Lions endure flu and COVID-19 issues

Detroit followed up its first and only win of the season with a 38-10 defeat in Denver, but the Lions were shorthanded. Not only was star tight end T.J. Hockenson out with an injury, but the offense  was without running back D’Andre Swift and fellow back Jamaal Williams.

The team also had six players placed on the reserve/Covid-19 list, and quarterback Jared Goff, along with six coaches, were dealing with the flu.

Detroit had to activate running back Craig Reynolds for the game, who rushed for 83 yards on 11 carries.

Turnovers doomed the Lions after the break, as their first four drives of the second half ended in turnovers. This included their second drive, where they gained just eight yards and turned it over on downs at their own 33, effectively ending their hopes as they set up Denver for an easy score.

The bigger concern for the Lions was their inability to stop the Broncos on third down, allowing eight of 12 conversions.

They also struggled to stop the run. Denver rushed for 184 yards and gained 14 first downs on the ground, and the Broncos scored points on six of their nine possessions.

Goff is playing better of late, but he threw for just 215 yards without Hockenson. He has success against the Cardinals, going 7-1 against them in his career, with a lone defeat in 2016. However, this isn’t the Rams’ offense he enjoyed playing with before. Detroit averages just 16.4 points per game, as it closes in on the top pick in the upcoming draft.

Cardinals and Lions betting trends

• The Cardinals are 9-4 ATS this season
• The Cardinals have covered the spread in all seven of their 2021 road games
• The Lions are 8-5 ATS this season
• The Under is 8-5 in Lions games this season
• The Lions are a 3-0-1 SU in the last four meetings with the Cardinals
• The Over is 6-0 in the last six games played in in Detroit between these teams

Expect low-scoring scuffle in the Motor City

There is little doubt the Cardinals should win this game, but two touchdowns is a lot to lay. With the status of Hopkins and Conner in the air, it is also difficult this far out to say for certain how likely they are to cover. Detroit, when healthy, has played teams fairly competitively, at times, and they’ve covered the spread more often than not.

The safer play is the total. The Lions have topped 20 points just twice this season, and these two teams average a combined 44.6 points per game.

With the Cardinals’ injury issues, and the influenza and Covid-19 problems the Lions face on offense, I don’t foresee a high-scoring game.

If the Cardinals cover, they will likely do so in a blowout, but I don’t see the Lions putting many points on the board. Protect yourself from the unknown and take the Under in this one. Combine it with the Under on the Lions' team total for a Same Game Combo wager.

Score prediction: Arizona 27, Detroit 16

Week 15 NFL pick: Under 47.5 (-109)

Same Game Combo: Under 47.5 / Lions TT Under 16.5 (+160)

Cardinals vs. Lions Pick powered by The Quant Edge

Our predictive engine is calling for the Cardinals to win outright.