Expert Top Pick of the Day: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals will put their league-leading 10-2 record on the line when they host the Rams on Monday night.
These division rivals met way back in Week 4, in which Arizona took a 37-20 victory. The Rams led after one quarter, but Arizona outscored the Rams 30-10 for the remainder of the game and won going away.
An Arizona win would keep them on track to be the top-seeded team heading into the NFC playoffs. The Rams are well behind them, but a win would give them momentum to secure a division title.
Today’s game could be a true reflection of what LA expects for the rest of the regular season.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals Schedule
- Date: Monday, December 13
- Time: 7:15 PM CST
- Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Arizona Inches Closer to NFC West Title
The Cardinals have the best record in the NFL and are soon looking to clinch their first division title since the 2015-16 season. A win for Arizona on Monday night would guarantee the Rams no better than a tie for the division title.
With the Cardinals’ relatively light schedule to finish the season, you could say it’s pretty much a done deal in the NFC West.
QB Kyler Murray will be playing his second game back after missing three weeks due to injury. He wasn’t his usual self in his last outing but still led his team to a 33-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. As long as the Cardinal’s defense keeps playing as well as they have, it doesn’t matter if Murray is at 100%.
They are currently fourth in the league in points allowed per game with 18.7 and are second in turnover ratio, where they are +12. Their secondary is also pretty stingy, only giving up 205 passing yards per game.
Rams Hold Onto Playoff Hopes
LA is currently two games behind Arizona in the NFC West division but can still make the playoffs as long as they don’t falter through these last four games of the regular season.
They have lost three of their previous four games after starting the season 7-1 but are coming off a 37-7 victory against the lowly Jaguars, which should still boost their confidence coming into this game.
QB Matthew Stafford is third in the league in passing yards with 3,611 yards and has thrown for 30 touchdowns. His favorite target, WR Cooper Kupp, leads the league in receiving with 1,366 yards. He’s also at the top in receiving touchdowns with 11.
It will be challenging for these two to hook up very much in this game against the tough Arizona defense, but LA might make it a very competitive matchup if they can. The Rams will be missing two players for this game due to Covid-19 protocol. OT Rob Havenstein and CB Dont’e Deayon will be out of action on Monday night.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals Odds Comparison
The odds are in favor of Arizona in this tight matchup. LA is hoping their passing game can overcome the tough Arizona secondary. If so, this could be a very close and entertaining game.
The Rams are 7-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last nine against the Cardinals, 8-1 straight up. Arizona has gone 3-7 ATS in their last ten home games and are 8-2 straight up across the same number of games.
- DraftKings has the Cardinals at -130 on a spread of -2, and the game total is 51
- FanDuel has the Cardinals at -134 on a spread of -2, and the total is 51.5
- Caesars has the Cardinals at -135 on a spread of -2.5, and the total is 51.5
Godds Pick or Prediction of the Game
The Cardinals are the slight favorites in this game. They should come out on top if they can move the ball against the Rams and control the clock.
LA is hoping their passing game can overcome the tough Arizona secondary. If so, this could be a very close and entertaining game.
- Godds Pick/Prediction: Arizona Cardinals to win and the over hits.