Colts vs. Cardinals: NFL Week 16 betting odds, preview, and pick
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28). (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
December 21st, 2021
Two teams trending in opposite directions will meet at State Farm Stadium on Christmas night as the Indianapolis Colts take on the Arizona Cardinals.
The Colts have won four of their last five contests, beating the scorching New England Patriots last time out. Their only loss in that span came by one score to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Lions!
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 19, 2021
Detroit leads the Cardinals 24-3 👀
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/8okD2ksaZE
Meanwhile, after starting 7-0, the Cardinals are 3-4 over their last seven games. Their effort in a 30-12 loss to the Detroit Lions last week was downright awful.
Let’s dive into this matchup and see where bettors should place their money in this holiday affair.
Indianapolis Colts (8-6) at Arizona Cardinals (10-4), Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET, NFLN
Colts encounter defense Taylor-made to exploit
Indy will most likely give Arizona a steady dose of dark-horse MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor in this one. The sensational sophomore running back is fresh off his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season, as he gashed the Patriots for 170 yards on 29 carries last Saturday.
#Colts Jonathan Taylor's longest plays so far this season: pic.twitter.com/nqPiEVj0ah
— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) December 20, 2021
He should have a field day against the Cardinals’ run stoppers, which allow 4.6 yards per carry, the fifth-worst mark in the NFL.
Edmonds, Conner can help Cards keep pace
The Colts’ rush defense is not much better than Arizona’s, as they allow 4.5 rushing yards per attempt. Unfortunately for this unit, the Cardinals boast touchdown machine James Conner (16 all-purpose touchdowns, third among running backs), as well as Chase Edmonds in the backfield.
So Chase Edmonds is allowed to score touchdowns 😅 pic.twitter.com/WjLlMM4KW3
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 29, 2021
After missing four weeks, Edmonds returned to rush for 53 yards on just eight carries against the Lions in Week 15. The Fordham product is averaging nearly six yards per attempt this season (483 yards on 82 carries), so he seems like the perfect weapon to attack Indy with.
Wentz, Murray have underperformed recently
The first team to abandon the run in this one will most likely lose. Colts quarterback Carson Wentz has thrown for fewer than 160 yards in three of his last four contests, tossing three interceptions to go with his six touchdowns in that span.
Kyler Murray has been shaky under center for the Cardinals since returning from injury three games ago, producing a 3-3 touchdown-interception ratio. The absence of DeAndre Hopkins (knee) out wide will only hurt.
Colts vs. Cardinals injury report
| Indianapolis Colts | Arizona Cardinals |
|---|
Quenton Nelson: Questionable (illness) | James Conner: Questionable (heel) |
Andre Sendejo: Questionable (concussion) | Rondale Moore: Questionable (ankle) |
Rock Ya-Sin: Out (reserve/COVID list) | Zach Ertz: Questionable (hamstring) |
Kemoko Turay: Out (reserve/COVID list) | Max Garcia: Questionable (knee) |
Jordan Phillips: Questionable (knee) |
Colts and Cardinals betting trends
- The Colts are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games
- The Colts are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against teams with winning records
- The Cardinals are 9-23 ATS in their last 32 games as a home favorite
- The Under is 29-12 in the Colts’ last 41 games played in December
- The Over is 7-3 in the Cardinals’ last 10 games against teams with winning records
The verdict
The Colts are quite a tough opponent for the Cardinals to try and right the ship against. Take Indy and the points.
Score prediction: Colts 27, Cardinals 21
NFL pick: Colts +1.5
Colts vs. Cardinals pick powered by The Quant Edge
Our predictive engine is calling for the Cardinals to win and cover the spread against the Colts.
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