-bm.jpg "NFL ATS Picks – Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts")
The Cardinals had a 17-9 third-quarter lead in Detroit but were dominated the rest of the way in a 35-23 loss. Arizona is hoping to return to the playoffs after making the NFC Championship game in 2015 and the offense needs to play much better than it showed in the opener.
Both of these teams have a lot of question marks heading into this showdown.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 2 game is set for Sunday, September 17, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona Cardinals +7.5
Indianapolis Colts -7.5
Over/Under 44.5
Odds Analysis
Even though the Colts are big home underdogs, much of the money is still pouring in on the Cardinals to cover. Arizona’s defense is solid and it could be in for a big day against either Scott Tolzien or Jacoby Brissett, whichever quarterback starts for the Colts.
The scoring total seems pretty well pegged with the money thus far coming in pretty equally on the “over” and the “under” for this showdown.
Injury Report
David Johnson – The Cardinals’ star running back hurt his wrist in the third quarter of the season opener. He is the biggest weapon on the team’s offense, and his availability for this game is not looking good. If Johnson sits, the Cardinals will use Kerywnn Williams and Andre Ellington. They have experience but are not as talented as Johnson.
D.J. Humphries -- The Cardinals’ left tackle hurt his knee in the first quarter against the Lions and may miss a few games. Jared Veldheer could move back to left tackle after switching to right this offseason, and either John Wetzel or Ulrick John will fill in for Humphries. The Colts don’t have a very good pass rush but hope to take advantage of the injury.
Luck – The Colts badly need their quarterback to return, but he still isn’t practicing. It seems like an extreme longshot for him to be ready for this game. Indianapolis is a fringe playoff team with Luck in the fold and one of the worst teams in the NFL without him.
Player to Watch
Carson Palmer -- It seems clear the Colts are going to struggle to score points without their quarterback, and the only way they can win this game is if the defense can rattle the Cardinals’ veteran signal-caller. Palmer had a poor start to his year, tossing three interceptions in the loss to the Lions.
Palmer is 37 years old and there are concerns that his skills are declining. This is an important contest for him against a Colts defense that is not very good. If Palmer can bounce back, the opener will be forgotten. If not, it will be a bad sign for the rest of the year.
Free ATS Pick
The Cardinals played poorly in Detroit yet still held an eight-point second-half lead. The defense should be able to come up with multiple big plays against a Colts offense that is lost without Luck.
The absence of Johnson is a big one, but this matchup comes at a good time for the Cardinals. They should be able to bounce back and win this game easily as long as they avoid turnovers. Choose the Cardinals to cover the spread. The “under” is the choice as the Arizona defense could hold Indianapolis in check.
NFL Odds: Cardinals 26, Colts 13
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