Primetime Props: New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals

Yahoo Betting Analyst Pam Maldonado joins Fantasy Football Live to offer a pair of player propositions as the Cardinals host the Patriots in week 14.

Video Transcript

ANDY BEHRENS: OK, let's talk about the Monday-nighter. It feels like a weird one, Arizona and New England. Let's talk Kyler Murray here. He is squabbling with ex-teammates, current teammates, coaches. And yet there's a friendly yardage prop here.

PAMELA MALDONADO: You mentioned it. This is a weird one because any time we have the Cardinals, it's going to be finicky. But it's the "Monday Night Football" game that we've got. So we've got to find something of value.

And I'm going to go Kyler Murray over 36 and 1/2 rushing yards. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, he has put together 116 rushing yards in his last two starts. He's rushed 54 yards per game over his last six, with 30-plus yards in all six games.

His ground game is what helps him. His mobility is what makes him so unique within the league. And that's what's going to help keep the Cardinals' offense competitive against the Patriots' defense, who is posting the third highest sack rate against opposing quarterbacks.

So Kyler Murray is going to have to run for his life in this matchup for "Monday Night Football."' But the Eagles defense-- I'm sorry, the New England defense, they are a little bit susceptible, struggling against some of the mobile quarterbacks. They allowed Lamar Jackson to rush for 107 yards. They allowed Justin Fields to rush for 82.

So what Murray is going to be unable to do in the air-- because he does have one less wide receiver on deck with Rondale Moore out-- he's going to have to get it done on the ground game. So I love Kyler Murray over rushing yards, over 36 and 1/2.

ANDY BEHRENS: Yeah, I like that call. Now talk to us about the quarterback on the other side of this thing, Mac Jones of the Patriots.

PAMELA MALDONADO: Mac Jones over 1 and 1/2 passing touchdowns, I'm calling this my flier pick because it is getting plus money. And it's not something that we have seen typically this season. Quarterback Mac Jones, he has only 7 touchdowns in the 2022 season. And he has only one game where he's had 2 passing scores. And that was against the Vikings just two weeks ago.

But Jones, he definitely has an opportunity here to improve on that mark because the Cardinals, they're pretty solid against rushing scores, defending rushing scores, 10th in opponent rushing touchdown percentage. But they become far more susceptible against passing plays, 24th in opponent passing touchdowns allowed at 63%.

Plus the Cardinals are allowing opponent highest-- opponent's highest rate in the league of red zone possessions into scores. Not to mention that Arizona has allowed opposing passers at least 2 scores in four of its last five games. We haven't seen Mac Jones really showcase what we thought we saw in the 2021 season. Potentially, he has a spot here today to do some magic. And it would be against the Cardinals' defense.