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Colts at Cardinals Betting Preview

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Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has a chance to be the NFL MVP.
Grace Hollars / USA TODAY NETWORK
  • 12/25 8:15 PM ET
    Spread
    ML
    Score
    455INDIND
    48
    130
    22
    456ARZARZ
    -3
    -150
    16

Three things you need to know before betting on Colts-Cardinals:

1. One of Arizona’s strengths is the team’s passing offense: The Cardinals enter Week 16 as one of only four NFL teams along with the Bengals, 49ers and Rams that’s averaging more than 8 yards per pass attempt. The Colts are 8-2 against the spread under head coach Frank Reich when facing an opponent that’s averaging at least 7.5 yards per pass attempt, which includes a 7-0 against-the-spread mark since the start of 2019.

2. Arizona’s most glaring weakness is a run defense that’s allowing an average of 4.6 yards per carry this season—only five NFL teams are allowing more. The Colts rush for an average of 5.2 yards per carry, which is tops in the league. Since the start of the 2019 season, Indianapolis is 12-4 both straight-up and against the spread when facing an opponent that’s allowing an average of 4.5 or more rushing yards per attempt. That includes a 6-0 against-the-spread mark on the road against such defenses since the start of last season, with Indianapolis outscoring home teams by an average margin of 13.1 points over those half-dozen games.

3. This is the type of situation in which Arizona has struggled in recent years, going 10-13-1 straight-up and 6-18 against the spread when favored by fewer than 7 points since the start of the 2016 season. The Cardinals are 5-9 straight-up and 2-12 against the spread as a single-digit home favorite since the start of 2018. Arizona is 2-8 straight-up and 1-8-1 against the spread under head coach Kliff Kingsbury when facing a team with a winning record in the second half of the season.

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