Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week 17 Pick

Date/Time: Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 1 PM EST

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

TV: Fox

The Arizona Cardinals take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in an NFC showdown from Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles were able to put a 33-25 win over on the Giants on Christmas to end a 3-game losing streak. Now at 11-4, they look to put the finishing touches on their postseason case while also trying to rediscover their stride. They look to have a manageable task on their hands this week with the Cardinals, 27-16 losers to Chicago this past week, dropping them to an inglorious 3-12. Can they give the Eagles a run for their money, or will Philly start to snap into form a little better this week?

Getting a Lay of the Land

The Cardinals are the more stable part of this equation. They’re a bad team. They can get an occasional spark here and there and are still even-Steven against the spread despite their 20% winning percentage. But for the most part, they struggle, along with a defense that can give way to big offensive showings from their opponents. And if you pitted this Arizona team against the Eagles we saw in the first three months or so of the season, it would seem to set up well for a rout. But after three straight losses and a one-score win last week over the Giants, along with various aspects of the team seeming to go sour, maybe this isn’t quite the slam dunk that it once was.

We see Jalen Hurts looking a little compromised still like he just can’t seem to get to 100%. As a result, we’ve seen the run game lose a little of its oomph in recent weeks, though it came back alive against the Giants a little bit. The big games from AJ Brown have slowed considerably. And even with some of these aspects appearing better in their last game against the Giants, the Giants were still driving at the end of the game with a chance to tie the game. When you look at the games preceding the 3-game streak, the streak itself, and last week’s win, it’s been a while since the Eagles dropped the hammer on someone. With a big spread this week, the Eagles are going to need to do something in this spot that they haven’t done since October 22, and that’s win by double-digits.

And sure, some of these things are more likely to come to light in more difficult contexts than the Cardinals coming to town. But we see a Philly defense not really showing its teeth like it once was—now a liability against the pass and not really the same against the run, either. They’ve seemed far less physical than what was previously the case. There seems to be an identity crisis like they’re not quite sure what they’re trying to be, which is odd for an established contender such as themselves. And in the last two months or so, we see an OK team, not a very good one like we saw last season and through a big chunk of this season.

What Can the Cardinals Do About It?

Some holes on the Philly defense offer opportunities even for a hit-and-miss Arizona offense. The truth is, they are better with QB Kyler Murray under center. But with Marquise Brown banged up and even with him in there, they are drawing pretty thin in the wide receiver category. Having a tight end step up the way Trey McBride has this year makes it a little easier to stomach, but they are getting precious little at wide receiver, making one wonder how much they can take advantage of a soft Philly pass defense. Running back James Conner has put forth some decent games lately and was the team’s leading receiver last week, which isn’t really a great sign. But they do have some weapons, and from what we’ve seen out of the Philly defense lately, it could be enough to create some real damage. And even when down by a lot, they still push the envelope late, making backdoor covers more of a possibility with a spread like we see this week.

Still, the Eagles have to be respected, as does their ability to turn things around. We see an Arizona defense having given up escalating point-totals in recent weeks. If ever this were a get-right spot, it would be this one for an Eagles’ offense that has gone a little sideways. We saw Hurts looking a little better with the ball on Christmas, with some better runs. Meanwhile, running back D’Andre Swift had a better game, and we saw Brown come alive some as the game went on. They’re at relatively full-health with their position-players and I’d look for the coaching staff and key players on both sides of the ball to be pushing to whip themselves into better form before it’s too late.

Lay the Number on the Home Favorite

I think the Eagles get it together in this one. It won’t even mean that they’re back, as a lot of teams have looked as though they’re getting their act together this season against Arizona. It’s just when needing points to make a run at this spread, it’s not easy getting behind what Arizona is bringing to the table right now. They have a good back, a good tight end, and then a lot of pieces where you might end up getting very little. With the Eagles’ offense looking a little better last week, now would be a weird time for them to recede going against an Arizona defense that might be buckling a little as the season is in its final stages. I’ll take the Eagles in this one.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Philadelphia Eagles minus 10.5 points.