Arizona vs. Miami (MIA -4, 46.5)
NFL ODDS, NFL PREDICTIONS, NFL PREVIEWS
Arizona vs. Miami | Sunday, October 27, 2024
Arizona snatched a win on Monday Night against the Los Angeles Chargers, taking them to a 3-4 record before they head to Miami to face the Dolphins in Week 8.
James Conner was once again the star for the Cardinals offense, posting 101 rushing yards on 19 carries, while Kyler Murray added another 64 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown on top.
Marvin Harrison Jr was quiet again with three catches for just 21 yards, and while we’ve seen flashes of the number four picks brilliance in Arizona, it has now been four games since he cleared 50 receiving yards, including the shutout with zero catches in the loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Cardinals run game is far exceeding the production of the pass game right now, and while that might not work for fantasy owners of Marvin Harrison Jr, it works just fine for the offense when in rhythm. They’re averaging 5.5 rushing yards per attempt (2nd in the NFL), as well as putting up 150.6 rushing yards per game (6th). If they improved their ability to convert those rushes into touchdowns, they’d be one of the most threatening teams in football on the ground.
That efficiency does however come at the cost of the pass game, which ranks in the bottom third in just about every statistical category. Kyler Murray is taking off and scrambling well, but they’re not beating teams through the air when the ground game is taken away.
The team's 181 passing yards per game is 25th in the NFL, while they’re also in the lower third in yards per pass and total passes per game.
The Cardinals defense is struggling too, still struggling to find the personnel to execute a high level defense. They allow the most passing yards per attempt in the league, giving up far too many explosive plays, and their 71.29% completion percentage allowed is the 31st ranked number in football.
As a result they’re allowing 25.4 points per game (24th), 376.4 yards per game (27th), 6.0 yards per play (29th), and a 48.15% third down conversion percentage, which is the leagues worst.
Their opponent, the Miami Dolphins, have dragged themselves through a dismal few weeks of football without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is now expected to practice this week and return to the field on Sunday, several weeks removed from another nasty head injury.
Tua has stated he wont wear a guardian cap, but does need to be ‘more available for the franchise’, which will mean being smarter with his decision making and protecting himself from further hits.
As for the offense, his return will be a sigh of relief, following a disastrous loss against the Indianapolis Colts which would have been a win with any slight efficiency from the depleted offense. Tyler Huntley managed just 87 passing yards before he too exited the game with an injury. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had one catch each, while Jonnu Smith put up 7 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in the game.
The Dolphins 11.7 points per game is the league's worst total, while ranking 27th in yards per play (4.7), 27th in third down conversion (32.10%), and dead last in both red zone scoring and touchdowns per game. Head coach Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat, and both he and the Dolphins will be hoping to see their fortunes quickly turn with the return of their franchise quarterback.
J.A. Cavalier NFL Triple Crown 6-0 NFL Guarantee. 3 straight, 3 parlays. One Week NFL $99 must go 6-0 or entire NFL season free. Straight through Super Bowl.
Get free NFL Picks and NFL Predictions for the top games on the weekly 2024 NFL schedule from JA Cavalier, one of the industry's premier expert NFL handicappers. J.A. Cavalier has been bringing the NFL betting community the best NFL free picks and predictions for nearly three decades. Visit daily for the best NFL moneyline and run line odds and game totals.
Shark Free PICK
Cardinals +3.5