MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 7/24)
Josh Gross
The Los Angeles Rams beat out the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC West crown, and now the teams will meet on Wild-Card Weekend. The division rivals split their two meetings in the regular season. The Rams opened as 3.5-point favorites for the wild-card playoff game with a total of 50.5.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Wild-Card Odds
Date/Time: January 17, 8:15 p.m. ET
Arena: Sofi Stadium
How to watch: ESPN
Opening odds: Rams -3.5 | O/U 50.5 (BetMGM)
Latest Cardinals-Rams Odds
Want the latest odds for this playoff matchup? Here you go.
Opening Odds – Cardinals vs. Rams
The Rams opened as 3.5-point favorites and received 56% of the early bets. With Los Angeles getting most of the action, the line was moved to Rams -4.
The total opened at 50.5 with 60% of the early bets being placed on the OVER. Despite the disparity, the total has yet to move.
Quarterback Analysis – Kyler Murray vs. Matthew Stafford
Kyler Murray was arguably the NFL MVP through seven games with 20 total touchdowns and a 116.8 passer rating. Murray has posted just one triple-digit passer rating in his last five starts, clearly affected by the loss of DeAndre Hopkins. Murray completed 75% of his passes with a 120.3 passer rating against the Rams in a 37-20 Week 4 win. When Los Angeles beat Arizona 30-23 in Week 14, Murray was picked off twice.
Stafford is an upgrade over Jared Goff, though he’s not a top-tier quarterback. The veteran finished third with 4,886 passing yards and second with 41 touchdowns. He had a season-high 139.9 passer rating in the win over Arizona. Stafford also led the league with 17 interceptions, 13 of which have come in the last nine games.
Latest Cardinals betting news & info
After a 7-0 start, the Cardinals came crashing back to earth, continuing the trend of Kliff Kingsbury’s teams playing poorly late in the year. With a chance to clinch the division title in Week 18, Arizona was beaten 38-30 by a Seattle Seahawks team that had nothing to play for.
Arizona scored more than 30 points in seven of its first nine games. In their last eight games, the Cardinals have topped the 25-point mark just twice. Arizona needs the September/October version of Murray to make a comeback, but that’s asking a lot against a Rams’ defense that ranks fifth in opponents’ passer rating.
J.J. Watt might come off injured reserve and play in the wild-card game. Arizona beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 to improve to 8-1 on the road both straight up and ATS. The Cardinals have beaten four playoff teams (including the Rams) on the road, offering some hope that Arizona can pull off the upset.
Latest Rams betting news & info
The Rams backed their way into a division title when they blew a 17-0 lead against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. Stafford had his third straight multiple-interception game as Los Angeles fell to 2-5 against playoff teams.
Maybe the latest loss can be explained by Kyle Shanahan’s dominance over Sean McVay. L.A. had won five straight games before the regular-season finale. The Rams are 6-0 when Stafford doesn’t throw a pick, and the Cardinals have failed to record an interception in five of their last seven games.
Receiver Cooper Kupp might be the Offensive Player of the Year with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Aaron Donald sacked Murray three times in Week 14 and is still the best defensive player in football.
Cardinals vs. Rams Betting Picks – NFL Wild Card
Considering how much the Cardinals have struggled, Rams -4 is probably the right pick. Los Angeles has better playmakers and playoff experience at head coach and quarterback, which Arizona does not. Don’t be surprised if this game goes comfortably UNDER the total of 50.5. Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey can make life extremely difficult for Murray.
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