There is a nice story developing in L.A., where the Los Angeles Rams are suddenly full of talent at the wide receiver position. Will that, combined with the Arizona Cardinals‘ bottom-10 pass defense, result in an inevitable blowout win for Los Angeles?
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Cardinals vs. Rams Betting Lines, Start Time, and More
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Spread: Rams -7
- Moneyline: Cardinals (+260); Rams (-310)
- Over/Under: 48
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Location: SoFi Stadium
- Channel: FOX
Cardinals vs. Rams Prediction
The Rams welcomed back All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp last week. Kupp (118 receiving yards) and surprising rookie Puka Nacua (71) combined for nearly 200 receiving yards. And still, quarterback Matthew Stafford finished with a season-low 222 passing yards in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Such is the life with the Rams these days. Every step forward seems to be followed by a step back. Thus, a 2-3 record has given little hope of competing for a division title with the undefeated San Francisco 49ers and one-loss Seattle Seahawks above them.
But the season is hardly over. And if healthy, Kupp and Nacua could provide the Rams with one of the league’s top duos at the wide receiver position.
Now with a bottom-10 defense in the Cardinals coming to town, a big day for the Rams’ offense could be in the making.
For that to happen, though, Stafford will have to play better. While he is fifth in the league in passing yards with 1,451, much of that can be attributed to the fact that Stafford is third in the league in passing attempts with 203. His completion percentage (61.1%) and passer rating (80.7), however, both rank 25th or worse.
To be fair, Stafford has been under pressure a lot so far, ranking sixth in percentage of dropbacks under pressure (42%). But that should not be much of a factor today — the Cardinals rank 31st in QB pressures (28.9%), according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
Arizona continues to deal with injuries, the latest coming from running back James Conner, who suffered a knee injury last week vs. the Bengals and was placed on injured reserve (IR).
The Cardinals have been scrambling to fill out the running back position this week, claiming Tony Jones Jr. off waivers earlier in the week and elevating Damien Williams from the practice squad for today’s game.
Arizona did get some good news on the injury front, however, as wide receiver Marquise Brown (illness) is expected to play today.
QB Joshua Dobbs is doing the best he can with a completion percentage of 65.8% and a passer rating in the 90s (90.8). He has thrown just two interceptions this season, which is tied for second-fewest among quarterbacks with at least 150 pass attempts.
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Although the Rams have one of the best records vs. the spread so far this season (3-1-1 ATS), this is just the second time this season they have been favored. The previous time coming against the Colts, when they were a 1.5-point favorite.
So, can we really trust the Rams to cover a spread of a touchdown over anyone, including the Cardinals?
On the other side, this is the fourth time already in just six games that Arizona will be an underdog by seven or more points. The Cardinals are 2-1 ATS in those games, with the only loss coming as a 14.5-point underdog to the 49ers, who seem to beat everyone by 20+ points these days.
I like what is forming in Los Angeles with its wide receivers group too much, and I’m not scared away by any other numbers. Give the points today.
Best Bet: Rams -7 (-108 at DraftKings SportsBook)
