Cardinals vs. Broncos Odds
Betting this matchup between the Cardinals and Broncos is not for the faint of heart. As we get late into the NFL season with Week 15 this Sunday, you will see great matchups between teams vying for playoff positioning; this is not one of those games.
This is a game of two corpses fighting for nothing but pride. However, it is a myth that NFL players will "tank." Organizations might make decisions to shut certain guys down for the year, but the players on the field are still competing for their livelihoods. Especially in a game like this where backups will be prominently featured, these guys will seize the opportunity.
That being said, talent still wins out at the end of the day in this league. So with Colt McCoy and Brett Rypien at quarterback, the defenses could have their way in this one.
Cardinals vs. Broncos Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how the Cardinals and Broncos match up statistically:
Cardinals vs. Broncos DVOA Breakdown
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Overall DVOA | 28 | 5 | |
| Pass DVOA | 28 | 3 | |
| Rush DVOA | 27 | 17 | |
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Overall DVOA | 30 | 26 | |
| Pass DVOA | 25 | 24 | |
| Rush DVOA | 28 | 23 | |
Both of these offenses have been awful all year long, and that was with two quarterbacks who have, at the very least, had great seasons in the past. Both of these head coaches are at the top of the NFL hot seat list and have struggled to get their teams moving in the right direction.
Kyler Murray is now out for the year, and the 28th-ranked Cardinals offense should only get worse with McCoy at the helm. McCoy has stuck around the league for a long time because I'm sure he's a great guy and a good leader. He also won't just throw the ball over the place and turn it over.
Bet Arizona vs. Denver at FanDuel
However, McCoy has one touchdown to two interceptions and has yet to eclipse 250 yards in a game over his three starts this year. There's very strong Zach Wilson energy there.
On the other side, the Broncos offense is 30th in Offensive DVOA despite playing all but one game of the season with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Wilson. Now cue Rypien, who struggled mightily in his one start this year (admittedly against an elite defense in the Jets).
Rypien has a career completion percentage of 57% (for reference, only Zach Wilson has a worse mark than that in the NFL this season) and a career 5.58 yards per pass attempt (for reference, only Joe Flacco has a worse mark than that in the NFL this season). Somehow demonstrating how poor Rypien is turned into a roast of the Jets, but hopefully you get the point. This bad offense will only get worse with the change at quarterback.
The Broncos are still elite on defense. They are fifth in Defensive DVOA and have the guys to stop DeAndre Hopkins, who is just about the only weapon left on the field for Arizona. Their workhorse in James Conner should have slightly more success than the Cardinals' passing game, so that should slow the game down and limit possessions.
Betting Picks
It has been the story of the season for the Broncos, but I think the under is the only path here. The Broncos are 11-2 to the under this season, and Rypien will only help that cause.
McCoy should be the better of the two backup quarterbacks but faces a much tougher test against the Broncos' elite secondary. I don't think the Broncos will be able to produce any offense, and the Cardinals should go run-heavy with Conner.
I wouldn't blame anyone for refusing to watch this game on Sunday. Hopefully you can just bet the under and take it as a good sign when it never pops up on NFL RedZone. I would bet this all the way down to 35.5 and love it at the current number of 37.5.
Pick: Under 37.5 | Bet to 35.5 |
