The Philadelphia Eagles are on Upset Alert in NFL Week 5 vs. the Arizona Cardinals

Dan Favale
By , Updated on: Oct 5, 2022 12:00 AM
The Arizona Cardinals are a sneaky good Week 5 bet against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Perhaps no team has been tougher to figure out during the first few weeks of the 2022 NFL season than the Arizona Cardinals. Just when you're ready to write them off, they pull you back in. And yet, after they pull you back in, they struggle once again, starting the cycle of skepticism all over again.

This upside-down trajectory is reflected in the Arizona Cardinals' odds to win the Super Bowl. They have genuinely been all over the place. Most sportsbooks are billing them as something worse than a dark horse candidate. But entering their Week 5 matchup against the NFL-best Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday, October 9, at 4:25 p.m. EST, we have reason to believe the Cardinals are on the verge of turning a corner.

That is, if they haven't already.

Before we go any further, let's review the latest NFL online betting odds for Eagles vs. Cardinals, courtesy of the folks over at BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Philadelphia Eagles-255+210Arizona Cardinals

Please note our Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles betting odds are accurate entering Wednesday, October 5. Make sure to double-check these Week 5 NFL betting lines if you're placing a wager anytime after that, as sportsbooks will continue to shift their odds through the opening kickoff.

Speaking of sportsbooks: Do you have a home for your 2022 NFL betting? If not, you should check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. The information we provide can help you spot the best 2022 NFL online betting sites across the entire web.

Now, back to NFL football. Oddsmakers have decided the Cardinals are most likely going to lose against the Eagles. We're not so sure. We might even pick them to win. And we'll get into why below—in addition to offering Cardinals vs. Eagles picks on the spread and over/under.

Here's Why the Arizona Cardinals May Beat the Philadelphia Eagles

A bunch of smart football analysts have called the Philadelphia Eagles the best team in the NFL. We're here to pump the brakes on that sentiment.

Indeed, the Eagles are 4-0. But they've enjoyed a relatively easy schedule. Beating the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders on the road is nothing to write home about. And while their wins over the Minnesota Vikings (24-7) and Jacksonville Jaguars (29-21) were impressive, they both came at home. Also: Neither Jacksonville nor Minnesota boats a reliably elite offense.

The Arizona Cardinals, frankly, just might. It isn't reflected in their offensive rank; they are 14th in points per game. But that placement is dragged down by a 12-point performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. Games like that are an anomaly.

Quarterback Kyler Murray is still completing 65.3 percent of his passes while doing an expert job of protecting the ball. The Cardinals could stand to run scripted rushing plays for him more often, especially with star wideout DeAndre Hopkins out of the fold. But Murray is still making do with the passing game, despite Arizona ranking 29th in net yards per attempt.

On the back of Murray's admirable red zone decision-making and a rushing attack that's finding short-yardage seems near the goal line, the Cardinals have quietly assembled a sleeping offensive giant—in our opinion. And while the Eagles are first in net yards allowed per passing attempt, they haven't been tested against a mobile, loose-cannon QB like Murray. With the game taking place in Arizona, we believe they'll get their first loss.

OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals (+210)

Arizona Cardinals To beat the Philadelphia Eagles
BetOnline
+210

You Can Hedge Your Cardinals vs. Eagles Picks with a Point Spread Bet

Below are the latest NFL point spread betting odds for Cardinals vs. Eagles:

  • Philadelphia Eagles, -5.5 (-106)
  • Arizona Cardinals, +5.5 (-114)

Maybe you don't have the stomach for Arizona's moneyline. Or maybe you're just looking to hedge your bets. Heck, maybe you're trying to parlay them! Whatever the reason, the Arizona Cardinals make a lot of sense at +5.5.

Even if their defense—which has admittedly struggles—doesn't hold up, they have a gutsy offense of their own to lean on. The Eagles have also notably not blown out opponents who like to air it out. Both the Jaguars and Lions lost by fewer than nine points.

Sure, there's some risk involved here if you don't trust Arizona's secondary. But the Cardinals have pieced together a league-average-or-better rushing defense. They will be able to get some stops. Overall, keeping this game within reasonable distance shouldn't be too difficult when they're playing at home.

OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals, +5.5 (-114)

Arizona Cardinals To cover the spread vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
BetOnline
-114

Will the Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles Turn Into an Offensive Battle?

Here are the latest NFL over/under betting odds for Cardinals vs. Eagles:

  • Over 48.5 (-110)
  • Under 48.5 (-110)

This line is truly difficult to pin down. Both the Eagles and Cardinals have the ability to rack up points, but Philadelphia's defense is predicated on mucking up passing attacks. This final score could plummet if they're able to force their usual number of turnovers and third-down failures and then look to control the clock.

Then again, Cardinals QB Kyle Murray isn't one for committing a bunch of turnovers. And Arizona, somewhat ironically, has failed to score more than 21 points at home through two appearances. That won't stand forever.

Plus, the Eagles and Cardinals are currently combining to average over 53 points per game. That emboldens us to believe they'll total 49 or more points between them in Week 5.

OSB Prediction: Over 48.5 (-110)

Cardinals and Eagles To score more than 48.5 points combined
BetOnline
-110

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NFL betting:

Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan first began writing about sports back in 2011. At the time, his expertise lied in the NBA and NFL. More than one decade, that remains the case. But he's also expanded his catalog to include extensive knowledge and analysis on the NHL, MLB, tennis, NASCAR, college ba...

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