Cardinals vs Cowboys Odds, Picks, and Predictions

• The Arizona Cardinals (10-5) visit the Dallas Cowboys (11-4) at 4:25 pm EST on Sunday in Week 17
• 2021 Record: 8-8, -1.77 units
• See the Cardinals vs Cowboys odds and preview ahead of kickoff at AT&T Stadium

The Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys are headed in different directions as the 2021 season comes to a close.

Dallas is hot, winning four in a row and only one of those has been decided by seven points or less. Arizona has cooled off significantly, losing three in a row and four of their last five. They’re now looking up at the Rams in the NFC West.

With the Cards in dire need of a win, kickoff is set for 4:25 pm EST from AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

Cardinals vs Cowboys Odds

Odds as of January 1st at DraftKings

The Cowboys enter as 6.5-point home favorites, and they’ve been red hot against the spread recently. Dallas is 4-0 ATS on their current win streak, with the under hitting in three of those four. In fact, the under is 7-3 in the Cowboys’ last 10.

Despite that, NFL public money is backing the over on the total of 52. The under has hit in two-straight for the Cards, and three of their last five. Arizona is 0-3 and 2-4 over their last six ATS.

Cardinals vs Cowboys Injury Report

Covid has been running rampant in the NFL once again, and it’s been making it difficult to look ahead at games. A number of teams have had to wait until late in the week to find out if key players will be available or not.

For the Cardinals and Cowboys, they have just seven combined players on Covid-19/reserve. DJ Humphries and Markus Golden are the Cards’ most notable names, while none of the key contributors for the Cowboys have been felled yet.

Week 17 Injury Report

While the Cardinals don’t have to deal with Covid, they do have to deal with a pretty lengthy injury list.

Five players received a DNP designation on both Wednesday and Thursday this week, while nine in total failed to practice Wednesday. While that can be chalked up to the team managing injuries, no team ever wants that many injuries to its’ stars.

Is Sunday's matchup vs the Cardinals a statement game for the Cowboys?

"No, Arizona is a shell of themselves… There is no possible way you can make a statement game against a team that got blown out against the Detroit Lions." — @ShannonSharpe pic.twitter.com/Iii5zh5KYV

— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) December 31, 2021

Quinton Bohanna was the lone Cowboy to received a DNP throughout the week, thanks to an illness.

Cardinals vs Cowboys: Cards’ Defense Hitting a Wall

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, it’s somewhat surprising the Cardinals find themselves in a Wild Card spot.

They opened the season with seven-straight wins, and even survived an ankle injury to Kyler Murray, going 2-1. But since their Week 12 bye, Arizona has stumbled, losing three of four.

Cardinals Defense: Pre vs Post Bye

The biggest difference for the Cards lately? Getting off the field on third down. A drastic difference in their pre and post-bye splits, means opponents are holding the ball for longer against them.

In fact, in their first 11 games Arizona only allowed three opponents to cross the 30-minute mark in time of possession. In the past four weeks it’s been done three times by the Bears, Lions and Colts.

Do Cowboys Need to Prove It?

After going just 1-3 in the month of November and dropping their last two, Dallas turned it around in a big way in December. They swept the month, going 4-0. But what can we take from those results?

The Cowboys beat up on the Taysom Hill-led Saints. Then they barely avoided a comeback from the Washington Football Team, beat the Giants handily, and waxed Washington again.

After two practices, Cowboys LT Tyron Smith (ankle) remains on track to start Sunday vs. Cardinals, coach Mike McCarthy said. He missed the previous two games.

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 31, 2021

Like their 2021 results, the Dallas defense has been streaky. They’ve allowed 302 yards or fewer in each of their last three games, but gave up 370 or more in the three games before that. There have been some wild swings in Big D this year, and they’ll be looking for consistency ahead of the playoffs.

Cardinals vs Cowboys Prediction

To expect the explosion of offense out of the Cowboys that they had on Sunday night may be a little much. Offensively they will hold up their end of the bargain, so the attention turns to the Cardinals.

Whether Matt Prater made or missed them, Arizona was settling for a lot of field goals on Christmas. And when a team punts just once? You’d expect them to come away with more than 16 points.

Arizona can be a dangerous team. But they’re banged up and looking lost. Regardless of whether they win, this doesn’t seem like a Sunday where the Cards’ offense explodes.

The Pick: Under 52.0