Indianapolis Colts vs. Arizona Cardinals Player Props (12/25/21)

From all of us here at Lineups.com, Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. While you’re enjoying time with your family on Saturday, the NFL has scheduled a highly-anticipated game between two of the best teams in the league. The Colts and Cardinals should provide a game with plenty of betting angles, and in this article, we’ll take a look at the highest-value player props on the board. You can use the player prop search tool below to find the best odds in your market for the Colts vs. Cardinals game.

Indianapolis Colts Vs. Arizona Cardinals Player Prop Search Tool

Michael Pittman Jr. Over 4.5 Receptions

The Cardinals are fifth in the NFL with just 210 passing yards allowed per game and are the fourth-best pass defense in the league by DVOA. So why target Pittman? Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown just had eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown against Arizona, and he fills a similar role in the Detroit offense to what Pittman does for Indianapolis. The Cardinals’ pass rush hasn’t been the same since J.J. Watt’s injury, and their secondary has been exposed more frequently. Neither of the team’s starting cornerbacks – Byron Murphy Jr. and Marco Wilson, a fourth-round rookie, has the size to compete with Pittman at the catch point, and it’s unlikely Indianapolis is playing in nearly as positive a game script as they were last week against the Patriots.

Kyler Murray Under 263.5 Passing Yards

Teams are starting to figure out how to stop Kyler Murray. As the year has gone on, teams like the Rams and Packers have laid the blueprint for playing soft boxes and two-high looks to slow down Arizona’s passing game, and the Lions even used similar concepts to good effect last week. The Cardinals have become much easier to stop without DeAndre Hopkins, as well, and Kyler Murray’s career splits without the All-Pro wideout are staggering – he has averaged just 234 passing yards per game without Hopkins. Much of that sample is from his rookie season, but Hopkins is a big difference-maker nonetheless. Indianapolis’s defense has rounded into form as it has gotten more healthy, and their stout defensive line could overwhelm the smaller Murray. He has struggled against interior pressure throughout his career.

Jonathan Taylor Over 103.5 Rushing Yards

Playing Jonathan Taylor’s rushing yards again won’t win you creativity points, but he’s certainly a solid player for target every week. He has run for 139.4 yards per game over his last five, surpassing this yardage in seven of his previous nine games. The Cardinals are allowing 112.8 rushing yards per game, ranking them 18th in the NFL in that metric. Arizona has only allowed a 100-yard rusher twice this season, but the unheralded Craig Reynolds just became the second player to reach that mark. The Cardinals won’t have their typical luxury of being ahead by multiple scores this week, and even if they are, the Colts won’t just abandon the run as it’s their best path to scoring points.

Zach Ertz Over 44.5 Receiving Yards

With DeAndre Hopkins out for at least the remainder of the regular season, Zach Ertz has become a focal point of the passing game in Arizona. In the team’s first game this year with Murray and without Hopkins, Ertz caught six passes for 74 yards. The Colts’ pass defense has improved in recent weeks, but they have still allowed 71.1 receiving yards to the tight end position this year, the most in the NFL. Several players have surpassed this line against the Colts, including Geoff Swaim and Dan Arnold. No disrespect to those two, but Ertz is a more talented player catching passes from a better quarterback, and he should be the next tight end to have a big game against the Colts.