Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals NFL Picks & Predictions

The Indianapolis Colts look to build off their thrilling Monday Night Football win over Miami in the desert this week when they take on the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in what figures to be an aerial display by two of the game’s best quarterbacks.  You can see these two teams face off on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Last week, the Colts used several big plays to get past Miami on the road despite having less than 15 minutes of possession time. The Cardinals bounced back from their Week 1 loss by cruising 31-17 against Jacksonville. These teams have not met since Week 17 of the 2006 season when Indy defeated Arizona 17-13 despite resting most of its players to prevent any injuries prior to the playoffs. The Colts have won each of the last three meetings to take a 7-6 lead in the all-time series. NFL odds makers have listed the Arizona Cardinals as a 2.5-point favorite with the total set at 48.5.

Plan to bet on the NFL this week? Bet your NFL picks at BetUS where our readers get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!

Arizona’s offense came alive in Week 2 behind Pro Bowl QB Kurt Warner. Warner was nearly perfect, completing 26 of 28 pass attempts to set a regular season mark for the highest completion percentage in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts. All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has 10 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, but running back Tim Hightower is the team’s leading receiver. He has 15 grabs for 133 yards through two games and also leads the team in rushing with 87 yards. The Colts won’t be able to forget about the flats as Warner has no problem dumping the ball off to his tailback to let him make plays. The Colts enter as the league’s top ranked pass defense, but we saw last week how susceptible they can be to the run. Don’t be surprised if Arizona looks to run the football more with Hightower and Beanie Wells to expose Indy’s weakness. It is worth noting that the Cardinals are a perfect 8-0 against the number in their last 8 games as a favorite of 3.0 points or less. If you like Arizona at home, bet the Cardinals at -2.5 at BetUS.

The Colts have won 11 straight regular season games, which is the league’s longest active regular season winning streak. If they hope to keep their streak alive, the defense is going to have to stop the run a whole lot better than it did last Monday night when it was terrorized by Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins. The Indy defense spent over 45 minutes of that game on the field and with one less day to recover, its stamina could be an issue this week. This could especially be a key actor as the Cardinals had a relatively easy game against the Jags and should enter with fresher legs.

Peyton Manning and the Indy offense didn’t even need the ball for 15 minutes to defeat Dolphins. The Colts could get thumped in time of possession again this week so that puts the pressure on Peyton Manning and the offense to capitalize on their opportunities once again. The guy I’ll be watching is tight end Dallas Clark, who leads the Colts in receiving yards and all NFL tight ends with 18 touchdown grabs since 2007. Every time teams make the mistake of paying too much attention to Reggie Wayne, Clark seems to make them pay. It is also worth noting that the Colts are 12-2-1 against the spread in their last 15 games as an underdog of 3.0 points or less. If you like Indy to continue its regular season winning streak, bet the Colts at +2.5 at BetUS.

Looking for big time profits this Sunday? Make sure you’re playing World Champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks for a big day in the black!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts NFL Picks & Predictions
• Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts NFL Odds & Picks
• New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts NFL Picks & Odds
• Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts NFL Week 14 Odds & Picks
• Indianapolis Colts at St. Louis Rams NFL Odds & Picks

Comments