WEEK 15 BEST BETS: A SUNDAY DOUBLE
Michael Norbury brings you his best Week 15 bets for the afternoon slot on Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals (-6.5)
The 4-8-1 Eagles look to build on a surprise victory over New Orleans as they head to Arizona to face the playoff seeking Cardinals, who themselves snapped a three-game losing streak in overcoming the New York Giants in week 14. An intriguing week 15 match up awaits.
The Eagles offense has been miserable all season. A combination of historic injury problems and a total loss of confidence have left quarterback Carson Wentz looking a shadow of the man who played his way into the MVP conversation in 2018 and dragged an injury ravaged offense into the playoffs last season.
Something had to give, and it did in week 14 as second-round pick Jalen Hurts took the starting job. Hurts showed his athleticism in rushing for 106 yards and although he is far from the finished article, his ability to at least keep the offense moving makes the Eagles a different proposition.
Arizona’s offense has been too reliant on quarterback Kyler Murray’s athleticism in off the cuff plays and a connection with DeAndre Hopkins. When Murray isn’t right this offense isn’t right; he appeared to shake off concerns over an injured shoulder in last week’s win over the Giants but this remains a difficult offense to trust entirely.
Defensively, the Eagles are a solid enough unit who have been given far too much to do by their dysfunctional offense this season. Carson Wentz leads the league in interceptions, they are 4th overall in giveaways and sit 5th in the punts per game table. Week 14 against New Orleans showed that this defense can hold its own if the offense is holding up its end of the bargain. The Cardinals defense has shown signs of distress this season when faced with above average offensive teams. Their good days have come against the likes of the Jets, the Washington Football Team, the Cowboys and most recently a New York Giants outfit led by a clearly out of sorts Daniel Jones. With Hurts under center the Eagles might just be a step above those teams.
The 6.5 spread looks all wrong to me, The Eagles can at least keep this one close. Take the +6.5 which is widely available at 10/11.
Kansas City Chiefs (-3) @ New Orleans Saints
A mouth-watering clash between two teams who will consider themselves genuine Super Bowl contenders. Unmissable.
The Chiefs offense is a force of nature – Patrick Mahomes is arguably the league’s best quarterback with only Aaron Rodgers coming anywhere close. Tyreek Hill can give any secondary nightmares and Travis Kelce is currently the best tight end in the league. The running game though has dropped a level in recent weeks, they’ll be looking to get this back on track against a stout New Orleans defense. The Saints offense may not be as explosive as their week 15 opponents, but they possess a ruthless efficiency in moving the ball down the field. However, reigning receiving yards leader Michael Thomas sits this one out and although Drew Brees looks set to start under center, it sems unlikely he will be 100% coming off the back of a serious rib injury. This could be a key factor in the outcome here.
The Saints defense has worked its way through a shaky start to the season to plant themselves in the argument for the league’s best. The dependable front seven is backed up a stellar cast in the secondary, the battle here against the likes of Tyreek Hill is huge. The Chiefs defense has its issues but is a solid enough unit with the likes of Chris Jones and Tyrann Mathieu bringing the x-factor. A fully fit Saints offense may well fancy this match-up, but with Michael Thomas watching on from the side-lines and question marks over the health of Drew Brees it looks an uphill battle.
Take the Chiefs to cover the -3, widely available at 10/11.
Selections
Philadelphia Eagles +6.5 (10/11 Multiple Sites)
Kansas City Chiefs -3 (10/11 Multiple Sites)
Double pays 2.64/1 (£20 pays £72.89)
MICHAEL NORBURY
NFL BETTING ANALYST
MICHAEL’S INTEREST IN THE NFL BECAME AN OBSESSION ONCE HIS ATTENDANCE AT SUNDAY DINNER WAS NO LONGER MANDATORY. HE FOLLOWS THE RAVENS AND HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR THE DOLPHINS. YOU CAN FIND HIM ON TWITTER @NORBURYMIKE