ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. DETROIT LIONS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — September 22, 2024

ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. DETROIT LIONS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — September 22, 2024 — Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of several games on Sunday’s slate features the Arizona Cardinals (1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS) hosting the Detroit Lions (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, September 22, 2024 @ 4:25 PM ET

Where: State Farm Stadium,  Glendale, AZ

TV: FOX

Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Cardinals dropped their season opener against the Buffalo Bills 34-28. However, they bounced back nicely in Week 2, defeating the Los Angeles Rams by a 41-10 margin. Arizona was dominant in just about every phase of the game, too. Kyler Murray finished with 266 yards, along with three touchdowns. Rookie  Marvin Harris Jr. finished with 130 receiving yards on just four catches, two of which were for touchdowns.

The Cardinals also amassed 231 rushing yards. James Conner set the tone in this area, running for 122 yards on 21 carries. From a defensive standpoint, the Cardinals held the Rams to 2-for-10 on third down and generated five sacks while holding Los Angeles to just 245 total yards. Not bad for a team that has just four wins in each of its past two seasons. Let’s see if they can play with that kind of tenacity against Detroit.

Meanwhile, the Lions followed up their season-opening win over the Rams with a 20-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. Jared Goff was 34 of 55 for 307 yards with two interceptions. Jahmyr Gibbs set the tone for the ground game with 84 yards on 13 carries. Amon-Ra St.  Brown tallied 119 yards on 11 catches. For  Detroit, this game was one of missed opportunities. Despite outgaining Tampa Bay 463-216, the Lions were 1-for-7 in the red zone. The Lions have not dropped back-to-back games since the first half of the 2022 campaign.  However, they will need to be more efficient in this area against a Cardinals offense that is averaging 34.5 points per game.

Now that we have set the stage for this matchup, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

Following their 41-10 win over the Rams in Week 2, the Cardinals are a 2.5-point underdog against the Lions (via OddsShark). Let’s look at how both teams have fared against the spread.

• The Cardinals are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• Arizona is 9-2 ATS  in its last 11 “home” matchups against Detroit.
• In their previous five contests against NFC North opponents, the Cardinals are 1-6 against the spread.
• The Lions have covered the spread seven times in their last nine contests.
• Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last five games against the Cardinals.
• The Lions are 5-1 against the spread in their last six road outings.

Prediction: Detroit Lions (-2.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup is 51.5 points (via OddsShark). Here is why going with the “over” is the intelligent choice.

• The total has gone OVER five times in the Cardinals’ last six games.
• The OVER total is 12-6 in Arizona’s last 18 matchups against Detroit.
• In the Cardinals’ previous nine “home” games, the OVER total has prevailed eight times.
• The OVER total has cashed in six times in Arizona’s last seven contests against NFC teams.
• The total has gone OVER four times in the Lions’ previous six matchups against NFC West opponents.
• Arizona and  Detroit are averaging 55.5 points per game, which is four points more than the projected total for this matchup.

Prediction: OVER 51.5 points

Player Prop Bet

The key player to watch for the Cardinals is Kyler Murray. He currently has -115 odds of exceeding 230.5 passing yards and -115 odds of finishing with less than 230.5 yards (via DraftKings). Here’s how his season numbers compare to the estimated total.

• During the season, Murray is averaging 214.0 yards per contest.
• In three career matchups against the Lions, Murray has thrown for 835 yards (278.3 YPG), five touchdowns, and five interceptions with a passer rating of 73.7
• The Cardinals have played one game at home this season (against the NFC). In that contest, Murray finished with 266 yards.
• Murray has averaged 230.4 yards across his last five outings, exceeding the yards total for this matchup three times during that stretch.

Prediction: Kyler Murray OVER 230.5 passing yards