Why Doesn’t Warren Sharp Trust the Eagles to Cover vs. Cardinals?

by

Dec 28, 2023

As the Arizona Cardinals prepare to host the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL stakes are high as Philly looks to get its offense on track.

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Cardinals vs. Eagles Odds at FanDuel 

  • Spread: Cardinals +10.5 (-110) | Eagles -10.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Cardinals (+400) | Eagles (-520)
  • Total: OVER 48 (-112) | UNDER 48 (-108)

The Eagles are laying 10.5 points with a total of 48. However, SportsGrid’s Warren Sharp expresses some reservations about the Eagles’ recent performances, especially their offense.

Despite the Eagles’ strong roster, Sharp is puzzled by their offensive struggles. “The Philadelphia Eagles continue to frustrate me. I don’t really understand what is going on with this offense because they have the same talent. They’re not lacking in talent like the Kansas City Chiefs were from years past. They’ve got good talent.”

Sharp points to specific issues the Eagles faced in their recent game against the New York Giants. “And yet they come out last week against New York Giants, a run defense that ranks number 26, and in the early downs on the first half of the game, nine running back runs, they’re gaining 26 yards. That’s 2.9 yards per carry against the number 26 strength run defense.”

The concerns extend to quarterback Jalen Hurts and his performance. “And then when Jalen Hurts is dropping back to pass, this is still a continued frustration for me for the Philadelphia Eagles on first downs. He is averaging just 5.6 air yards per attempt. Last year, that was up at 9.7 air yards per attempt. He’s been holding the ball for almost three seconds.”

Sharp also notes Hurts’ reluctance to throw long passes, a potential limiting factor for the Eagles’ offense. “He had nine dropbacks. Only one of those did he even throw the ball beyond 10 yards down the field. So everything is short. They can’t run the football, and that’s against a bad New York Giants run defense.”

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Looking ahead to the matchup with the Cardinals, Sharp acknowledges that the Eagles should theoretically perform better. “They should have success against the Cardinals. The Cardinals don’t get pressure. The Cardinals play soft. You can run on the Cardinals.”

However, his confidence in the Eagles’ ability to capitalize on these advantages is shaky. “But right now, I’m just not trusting this Philadelphia Eagles offense to execute to the talent level they’ve got on their roster.”

Sharp’s analysis suggests a game where the Eagles might struggle to cover the spread despite being favorites and facing a Cardinals team he views as weaker. “So I’m not willing to lay the points here even though I think this Cardinals team is not very good at all.”

This game promises to be an intriguing one, with the Eagles looking to overcome their recent offensive woes against a Cardinals team that might find opportunities to exploit these weaknesses. Fans and bettors will watch closely to see if the Eagles can live up to their potential or if the Cardinals can pull off an upset at home.

Watch Warren Sharp’s NFL Week 17 Picks on SportsGrid’s YouTube Page Below.
 

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Thumbnail photo via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

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