Experts Pick Against The Spread for Cardinals-Rams
In this story:
Things could not get any more NFC West than this, as the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles, both sitting with just three wins thus far, are likely to be without their starting quarterbacks as Kyler Murray (hamstring) and Matthew Stafford (concussion) are both not expected to suit up.
A loss for either side would effectively drown any remaining hope of competing within the NFC West.
Big stakes are on the line today at SoFi Stadium, and even bigger stakes are on the line for sportsbooks across the country.
On SI Sportsbook, the Cardinals are +1.5-point underdogs to the Rams on the road. Depending on where you get your odds, you can wiggle yourself to some points on either side of that spread.
Here's what betting experts across the web are taking against the spread for Cardinals-Rams:
Experts Pick Against The Spread for Cardinals-Rams
Dave Blezow, New York Post
"Arizona Cardinals (+1.5) over LOS ANGELES RAMS
"Rams’ offense has fizzled, and now Matthew Stafford is in concussion protocol. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is questionable with a hamstring. The backups are John Wolford and Colt McCoy, respectively. I think McCoy would have a little more to work with."
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
"The Cardinals' offensive line is shot, especially in the interior. That's great news for Aaron Donald up front chasing Kyler Murray while Jalen Ramsey works to contain DeAndre Hopkins on the back end. Bobby Wagner will make sure to clean up vs. the run and contain Murray's scrambling. The Rams' offense will just be about rolling with plenty of Cooper Kupp against a shaky secondary inside.
"Pick: Rams win 24-20 and cover the spread."
Sheil Kapadia, The Ringer
"Last week’s loss to the Bucs felt like it might have been essentially a season-ender for the Rams. Their offense currently ranks 30th in EPA per drive, ahead of only the Steelers and the Colts. The Rams have been outscored by 42 points on the season, which ranks 27th.
"The Cardinals, meanwhile, continue to operate like one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NFL. This feels like an Aaron Donald “don’t forget about me!” game where he just wrecks possession after possession for the Cardinals.
"Even if they’re rolling with a backup QB, I like the Rams here.
"The pick: Rams (-1.5)"
Vic Tafur, The Athletic
"History is on the Rams’ side, though. Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury are 1-7, including the playoffs, against the Rams and Sean McVay (1-6-1 ATS). Plus, we get a mad Aaron Donald coming off a bad game — he generated just one pressure on 51 pass rushes in the loss to the Buccaneers, snapping his streak of 59 consecutive games with multiple pressures, per Next Gen Stats.
"The pick: Rams -3"
Bleacher Report
"The loser of this game will fall to last place in the NFC West with little chance of getting back to the postseason.
"The Arizona Cardinals should be a little more desperate, though. They’re 0-3 in the division, and wideout DeAndre Hopkins’ return from a six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy hasn’t solved their offensive issues.
"Since Hopkins’ Week 7 return, Arizona has scored fewer points in each of the following contests, going 1-2 in that stretch. As a head coach with an offensive background, Kliff Kingsbury’s seat may be warm even though he signed an extension this past offseason.
"On the opposing sideline, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay can just flash his Super Bowl LVI ring to garner good faith in his vision for the team. Also, as the Rams lead skipper, he’s 11-1 against the Cardinals, which includes a playoff game, winning all those contests by at least seven points.
"However, this week, McVay has a unique challenge with his quarterback, Matthew Stafford, in concussion protocol. John Wolford could be the next man up. He made his first of two NFL starts in Week 17 of the 2020 campaign, a 18-7 win over the Cardinals.
"On a side note, Arizona will need to monitor quarterback Kyler Murray's progress throughout the week as he deals with a hamstring injury."
Consensus: Cardinals +1.5
Score Prediction: Cardinals 22, Rams 17
Thank you for making All Cardinals your number-one choice for Arizona Cardinals news, updates, analysis, and more. Be sure to give us a like on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more Cards content.
TOP ARIZONA CARDINALS STORIES
Prop Bets to Take in Cardinals-Rams
Cardinals Could Play Odell Beckham Jr. Down the Road
Matthew Stafford "Long-Shot" to Play vs. Cardinals
