Phil Agius
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A game between the Colts and Cardinals looks like a tremendous Christmas Day gift from the NFL, and with a matchup of two exciting offensive teams, entertainment looks guaranteed.
The 8-6 Colts are coming in hot for the 8:15pm ET NFL Network game after ending New England’s winning streak last week and they can’t afford to let up after their AFC South rival Tennessee won on Thursday night. For 10-4 Arizona, the pressure is on after back-to-back losses. Let’s take a look at the 3-leg same game holiday parlay we’ve prepared for it, which pays at better than 11/1 with FanDuel Sportsbook.
Indianapolis Colts +1.5 (-110)
Chase Edmonds 1st Arizona Cardinals touchdown scorer (+270)
Nyheim Hines over 16.5 receiving yards (-114)
Parlay odds: +1160
Indianapolis Colts +1.5 (-110)
Arizona’s 7-0 start to the season is starting to seem like a long time ago as the Cardinals are just 3-4 since then. They’ve also just lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The first, to a top team in the Rams, was not so bad, but last Sunday’s clear-cut 30-12 loss to the now 2-11-1 Detroit Lions was certainly a sign that all is not well with Arizona’s Super Bowl challenge. It’s important not to overreact to a team’s most recent result, but it’s also sensible not to underreact to it, especially when Arizona’s next game is against a rolling Indianapolis team.
The Colts have had the opposite season to their Christmas night hosts, starting 1-4 as they struggled to cope with some key injuries, but they have gone 7-2 since then. They should be full of confidence after ending New England’s 7-game winning streak with a deserved 27-17 victory last week. Playing the 10-4 Cards after that success is probably a nice spot to guard against any complacency and the Titans’ win over the 49ers has made this almost a must-win game.
Arizona allowed Lions’ backup RB Craig Reynolds to record 112 rushing yards last week, so Colts star Jonathan Taylor could be in for another big day, and the Cards’ passing attack looks much less threatening without the injured DeAndre Hopkins. Playing at home on Christmas Day should give the Cardinals a boost, but the Colts look a value wager to walk away with a win and getting a 1.5-point start is a bonus.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Indianapolis Colts vs Arizona Cardinals
Chase Edmonds first Arizona Cardinals touchdown scorer (+270)
James Conner has been the Cardinals’ leading rusher with 700 yards this season, with Chase Edmonds (483 yards) having played in 4 fewer games. However, the roles could be reversed this week with Conner reportedly a game-day decision after missing practice with a heel injury. Edmonds, on the other hand, returned from an injury absence in the loss to Detroit last week, gaining 53 rushing yards to Conner’s 39 despite having 2 fewer carries (6 to Conner’s 8). With Edmonds possibly in line to get the bulk of the carries if Conner misses out, or at least share the load again if his RB partner is good to go, Edmonds looks a fair value bet at +270 odds to be Arizona’s first TD scorer. Both RBs are a much less attractive -145 odds to score at any time, but that highlights the likelihood of Edmonds finding the end zone.
Nyheim Hines over 16.5 receiving yards (-114)
The Colts’ rushing attack is all about MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor, but Nyheim Hines should not be forgotten about when it comes to RB receiving yards and he only needs to catch a ball or two out of the backfield to get past a 16.5-yard line against the Cardinals. Hines, who scored the opening touchdown in the win over the Patriots, had only that 8-yard score last week, but had recorded 32 and 26 receiving yards in the previous 2 games and has seen 4 or more targets in 5 of his last 7 games. Defenses and sportsbooks might forget about Hines during all the Taylor hype, but bettors shouldn’t.
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