Cardinals vs Eagles NFL Handicapping
The Philadelphia Eagles host the Arizona Cardinals in a battle of the birds on Sunday.
Arizona Cardinals (7-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (6-5)
Date: Sunday, December 1, 2013
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
O/U Odds: 48.5
Spread: Philadelphia -3
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Philadelphia’s high-powered offense will do battle with Arizona’s rock-solid defense in a game with major playoff implications.
Philadelphia ranks atop the league with 150.6 rushing yards per game, and it was that ground game that came up big in a win over Washington last weekend, as the Eagles held off the Redskins late in a 24-16 win.
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Running back LeSean McCoy led the ground attack in that game, turning 20 carries into 77 yards. Not all that impressive on the surface, but he did score twice. Quarterback Nick Foles also did a lot of damage on the ground, rushing the ball nine times for 47 yards on a score. He also had a good day through the air against a soft Washington pass defense, completing 17 of 26 passes for 298 yards without an interception. In total, the team churned out 402 yards of offense.
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The Eagle defense bent but didn’t break against the Redskins. Washington racked up 427 yards of offense but scored only twice. The unit forced the only two turnovers of the game, including the game-clinching interception in the closing moments of the fourth quarter with the Redskins driving in search of a tying score.
Arizona’s last game was decided much sooner as the team rolled over Indianapolis for what would end up being an easy win.
The Cardinals have been getting better and better play out of Carson Palmer every week. Against the Colts he completed 26 of 37 passes for 314 yards and a pair of scores. A big help has been the emergence of young wide receiver Michael Floyd. Floyd brought in seven balls for 104 yards against the Colts. Veteran Larry Fitzgerald shouldn’t be forgotten. He caught five passes for 52 yards and two scores. Running back Rashard Mendenhall keyed the ground game, rushing 13 times for 54 yards and a score, while Andre Ellington carried the ball 10 times for 50 yards.
The Cardinal defense had little trouble with a Colts offense that has been stuck in the mud ever since Reggie Wayne went down. Indianapolis quarterback completed just 20 of 39 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
The Eagles were able to snap their home losing streak a week ago, but that had a lot more to do with the Redskins’ ineffective play than anything Philadelphia did. The Cardinals have certainly been better at home than on the road, but they should find some success in Philadelphia against an Eagles team that just does not match up well with the athletic Cardinals. Expect another strong outing from Palmer against Philadelphia’s 32nd-ranked pass defense.
The play: Arizona +3
