The Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons have a lot in common this season. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC, and both teams are using quarterbacks that they did not start the season with under center.
Here, we give you our Cardinals vs Falcons best bets as this game may have the lowest stakes of any on the NFL schedule this week, but plenty of intrigue nonetheless.
Best NFL Picks Week 17
Before Cardinals vs. Falcons on Sunday, we will break down one of the more unpredictable NFL matchups this week. Bettors will get insight into the performance of both teams on offense and defense. We will also look at the players to watch in the player prop markets that could help bettors turn a profit on this contest.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Atlanta Falcons Name
Matchup Information
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Matchup Time: Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 1:00 PM ET
How to watch: FOX
Where to watch: Nationwide
Arizona Cardinals Analysis
Offense
The offense of the Arizona Cardinals has been a major contributor to their decline in this year’s NFL team standings. A season-ending injury to Kyler Murray has forced the team to play a combination of Colt McCoy and Trace McSorley in his place. That has not gone well for a Cardinals team that has gone three straight games without hitting the 20-point mark.
This week, the starting quarterback for the Cardinals will depend on the health status of McCoy. McCoy is dealing with a concussion, which saw him sat out of the team’s Week 17 game against the Buccaneers. If he can’t go, it will be another week of McSorley, who was subpar at best against Tampa Bay.
Defense
On defense, the Cardinals’ NFL team stats are among the worst in the NFL. They rank 30th in scoring defense, which is an improvement after they entered Week 17 in last place in the league in that department. But even after a decent defensive showing against the Buccaneers, Arizona is always in danger of giving up a big number to their opponent.
Atlanta Falcons Analysis
Offense
On offense, the Atlanta Falcons have also struggled mightily of late. They have failed to score 20 points in a game in four straight games, and the move to give rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder some game action late in the season has cost them a chance to win the NFC South. Here, Ridder will look to secure his first win as a professional quarterback against another struggling team.
Looking at his NFL player stats, Ridder took some major steps forward from his first start to his second start. He more than doubled his passing yardage in his second start, and completed two-thirds of his passes against the Ravens this past Sunday. If he can keep making steps forward, the decision to start him late in the year will have been worth it.
Defense
Coming into this game, the Falcons have the fifth-worst total defense in the NFL game. Looking at the NFL injury report, Casey Hayward ending up out of action in the Falcons’ secondary for a large portion of the season has been a huge blow. But the Falcons have held four straight opponents under 21 points, and they will look to force another low-scoring game here.
NFL Stats and Standings
Both of these teams are in last place in their respective divisions coming into this contest. Arizona has the second-worst record in the NFC at 4-11, while the Cardinals have the third-worst mark in the conference at 5-10. Those making NFL picks against the spread will be interested to know that the Falcons are 8-7 against the spread, while the Cardinals are 7-8 against their NFL point spreads.
Most Remarkable Player for this Matchup
When it comes to Cardinals vs Falcons best bets, one player to target in the prop markets is Desmond Ridder. He has run the ball ten times in his first two starts in an Atlanta offense that prioritizes running the football. He could be worth taking a look at in the anytime touchdown scorer market as he is no stranger to breaking the pocket.
For Arizona, James Conner could be worth targeting to go over his rushing yardage total. Atlanta has a bottom-10 run defense in the NFL, giving up just over 133 yards per game on the ground. That could give Conner one of his most favorable matchups of the year to the benefit of prop bettors.
The last of our Cardinals vs Falcons best bets concerns the under in the passing yardage market for Arizona’s quarterback. Whether that quarterback is Colt McCoy or Trace McSorley, neither of those two options have thrown for 250 yards in a game yet this year. That trend will continue in what should be a defensive struggle.
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