Lions vs. Cardinals NFL Betting Odds, Picks: Detroit’s Offence Playing Over Totals
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Kevin Tompkins
In Week 5, we’ve got an NFC clash between two of the league’s leakiest defences as the Detroit Lions, fresh off a 32-26 Sunday night loss in Carolina, head to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, to take on the 1-3 Arizona Cardinals.
After squeaking by the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in their season opener, the Lions have alternated wins and losses, falling 41-31 in Buffalo, handling the New York Jets 31-24 at home and then coming up short against the Panthers despite 412 passing yards from Jared Goff.
The Arizona Cardinals’ first season under new head coach Mike LaFleur started with promise when they went into SoFi Stadium and beat the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14. It has been all downhill since, with a 31-7 home blowout at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, a 36-30 loss in San Francisco where they nearly erased a 17-point third-quarter deficit, and a 36-24 defeat to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium last week.
These two squads didn’t meet last season, but Detroit has had Arizona’s number of late, going 5-0-1 in the last six meetings.
Lions vs. Cardinals Kickoff, Weather, TV, Streaming Info
Kickoff is Sunday at 4:25 PM ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The game will air on FOX, with streaming available on NFL+ and Fubo. For FOX’s coverage, Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston will be on the call.
Weather won’t be a factor for Week 5’s game, as State Farm Stadium’s retractable roof and climate control take the Arizona heat out of the equation.
NFL Betting Odds, Point Spread, Trends
The visiting Lions are 5.5-point road favourites on the NFL odds board with a -258 money line. The home Cardinals are placed at +210 on the money line, and the game total sits at 54.5. Worth noting: this line opened at Lions -8.5 when the schedule dropped, and it has been bet down into the 4.5 to 5.5 range as Detroit’s defence has been incredibly porous.
This season, Detroit has been winning and losing through the air. Goff has nine touchdown passes and zero interceptions through four games, and he had 52 pass attempts in Carolina as the Lions called a pass on 77% of their plays, the highest rate in the NFL in Week 4.
The problem is on the other side of the ball. The Lions have given up 17 touchdowns, the most in the league, and opponents are converting 52.8% of their third downs, also the worst mark in the NFL. It’s no surprise the over is 4-0 in Lions games, while Detroit has yet to cover a spread this season.
As for the Cardinals, Jacoby Brissett has kept them competitive at times, but this offence simply can’t stretch the field. Arizona has completed just four passes of 20+ yards on 152 pass attempts, the worst percentage in the NFL, and Brissett has six touchdowns against four interceptions, three of which came against the Giants in Week 4. The defence hasn’t been much better, allowing a 114.9 opponent passer rating and 11 passing touchdowns, tied for the most in the league.
With two leaky defences meeting indoors, the over is very much in play for this game. Siding with the Lions under a touchdown also makes sense against a Cardinals team that is 0-14 after a loss since the start of the 2025 season.
NFL Player Odds and Props
Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown 90+ receiving yards (+127)
Amon-Ra St. Brown has 31 catches for 303 yards through four games, and the matchup could not be set up much better. The Cardinals are allowing 233.8 passing yards per game and have been torched in coverage, giving up 13.0 yards per play against open coverage, the worst mark in the NFL. With Goff throwing as often as he has been, the volume should be there for the Lions’ top target, who has motivation to get back to his productive ways after combining for 94 yards in his last two weeks.
Arizona Cardinals
Trey McBride 9+ receptions (+126)
Trey McBride is third in the NFL with 33 receptions and has been Brissett’s security blanket in an offence that rarely pushes the ball downfield. The Lions have been soft against tight ends, allowing 63.8 receiving yards per game to the position since the start of 2025, fifth-worst in the league, and McBride has cleared his receptions total in 13 of his last 16 games. In a matchup that promises to have pinball scoring, McBride should be back to racking up receptions throughout the game.
Detroit Lions
Jared Goff has been as sharp as anyone in the league through four weeks, and with Jahmyr Gibbs (353 rushing yards) and Amon-Ra St. Brown leading the way, the Lions offence isn’t the problem. Jameson Williams (six catches for 102 yards in Week 4) and Sam LaPorta give Goff plenty of passing-game options, with Gibbs being one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL.
The massive concern is a secondary being held together with duct tape. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on PUP, though Branch returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday. Stud DE Aidan Hutchinson and the pass rush have held up their end, but until the back end gets healthy, head coach Dan Campbell’s team is going to be in a lot of shootouts. Luckily, they have the offence to pick up the slack.
Arizona Cardinals
Veteran Tyler Allgeier and rookie Jeremiyah Love have the backfield to themselves, and Mike LaFleur says the lingering ankle issue that limited Love Wednesday shouldn’t affect him Sunday. The Cardinals have been efficient on the ground, posting a 48.5% rushing success rate, fifth-best in the NFL, and that may be the way to attack a Lions run defence allowing a 49.5% success rate, third-worst in the league.
Through the air, it has been the Trey McBride and Michael Wilson show, with Wilson hauling in 25 catches for 258 yards while Marvin Harrison Jr., a potential trade candidate, has been an afterthought.
Defensively, Arizona has been beaten early and often, giving up three touchdowns on opening drives this season, tied for the most in the NFL. The offensive line is also banged up, with left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. on IR. Against a Lions front with 15 sacks, that’s a real concern for a quarterback like Jacoby Brissett, who isn’t escaping anybody with his limited mobility.
DET
ARI