Cardinals vs Falcons Prediction, Odds & Best Bets for Week 17 (Atlanta's Offense Continues to Struggle at Home)

Cardinals vs Falcons Week 17 Game Info

2022 NFL Regular Season — Week 17
Arizona Cardinals (4-11, 3-3 Away) vs. Atlanta Falcons (5-10, 4-3 Home)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, GA
Coverage: FOX

Two teams with playoff hopes already dashed meet head-to-head in Week 17 as the Arizona Cardinals visit the Atlanta Falcons. Arizona fell just short in a 19-16 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Quarterback Trace McSorley threw for 217 yards in his first career start.

Meanwhile, the Falcons struggled to find the end zone in a 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16. Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts for 218 yards in the defeat. Atlanta's defense was torched by the opposing offense for 184 yards on the ground as well.

Cardinals vs Falcons Odds & Spread

All NFL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: ARI: (+158) | ATL: (-188)
Spread: ARI: +3.5 (-110) | ATL: -3.5 (-110)
Total: 40.5 — Over: (-118) | Under: (-104)

The Falcons enter this contest as small home favorites on the moneyline and spread on FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 1 p.m. ET clash also features one of the lower totals on the Week 17 slate at 40.5 points.

Cardinals vs Falcons Prediction & Pick

The biggest storyline to keep an eye on in this game is the health of quarterback Colt McCoy. He couldn't suit up in Week 16 due to a concussion and will have to pass the required protocol before being deemed active. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the team is "hopeful" that will happen.

McCoy is a veteran QB that would be able to dissect an Atlanta defense that has posted the third-worst pass defense DVOA rating. The Falcons will want to run the ball in this game, but the Cardinals allow only 114.3 rushing yards per game (No. 12 in NFL). There's a mismtach on both sides of the ball.

I'm going to back the Cardinals in an upset as they earn their first win in Atlanta in over two decades.

Final Score Prediction: Cardinals: 21 | Falcons: 20

Cardinals vs Falcons Betting Trends

- Arizona is 11-5 against the spread (ATS) in its last 16 away games.
- The total has hit the over in six of Arizona's last nine games.
- Atlanta is 5-2 straight up in its last seven games against Arizona.
- The total has hit the under in six of Atlanta's last seven games.

Cardinals vs Falcons Best Bet

There's a lot to like about the Cardinals' chances of keeping this game close. Arizona is 11-5 against the spread (ATS) in its last 16 away games and will have wide receiver Deandre Hopkins ready to go. Hopkins has logged 245 yards on 16 receptions (30 targets) in two career games against the Falcons.

Keep in mind Atlanta is just 2-7 ATS in its last nine games overall and 4-10 ATS in its last 14 home games. Ridder has shown little signs of improvement so far and the Falcons lack any true offensive weapons without tight end Kyle Pitts healthy. Continue fading them during a four-game losing streak.

Bet: Arizona Cardinals +3.5 (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.