by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Dec 24, 2024
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET, Saturday, December 28, 2024
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Where to Watch: NFL Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Cardinals +6, Rams -6; Over/Under: 48 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Cardinals +6, Rams -6; Over/Under: 48 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Cardinals +6, Rams -6; Over/Under: 48.5 points
Season Record
Arizona Cardinals: 7-8 (3rd place, NFC West)
Los Angeles Rams: 9-6 (1st place, NFC West)
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Arizona Cardinals: lost their last game on the road against the Carolina Panthers 36-30 in overtime.
Los Angeles Rams: won their last game on the road against the New York Jets 19-9.
Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams Preview and Analysis
The Cardinals are entering this game with a 7-8 record overall and they have a 2-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 5-3 in their home games, 2-5 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against the Carolina Panthers 36-30 in OT. Kyler Murray was the starting QB and he completed 20/32 passes for 202 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. James Conner led the team in rushing yards with 117 and 1 TD. James Conner led the receivers with 49 receiving yards on 4 receptions. Jalen Thompson led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Kyzir White, Naquan Jones, and Baron Browning each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
The Rams are entering this game with a 9-6 record overall and they have a 3-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-3 in their home games, 5-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the New York Jets 19-9. Matthew Stafford was the starting QB and he completed 14/19 passes for 110 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Kyren Williams led the team in rushing yards with 122 and 1 TD. Puka Nacua led the receivers with 56 receiving yards on 8 receptions. Jaylen McCollough led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Kamren Curl led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Cardinals vs Rams Prediction
The current betting odds have the Rams listed as a 6 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rams have looked good in their games this season with their 9-6 record overall which has them leading the NFC West at the moment. The NFC West has been wide open for most of the season, but now the Rams have a firm grip on the division with 2 games to go and they completely control their own destiny. Meanwhile, the Cardinals haven't looked good in their games this season with their 7-8 record overall which has them in 3rd place of the NFC West and out of playoff contention. They are coming off a loss to the Panthers in their last one and that loss ended the playoff hopes for the Cardinals this year. They have struggled a lot more in their road games this season with their 2-5 road record, but they have also looked terrible since coming out of their bye week, only winning 1 game since then. The Cardinals would love to play spoiler for the Rams here, but they just haven't looked good on defense all year and they haven't been consistent on offense lately either. The Cardinals also beat the Rams earlier this season and this is a matchup that Sean McVay has owned for years so the Rams will be looking to get the Cardinals back now that it matters most. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rams to cover the spread in this game.
Cardinals Rams Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Saturday, December 28, 2024 (8:15 pm ET start time) is Rams 38 Cardinals 13.
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NFL Betting Trends
Arizona Cardinals: 23-17 ATS as an underdog. 11-4 ATS as a road underdog of 7 points or less. 5-0 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite. 20-13 OVER in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 11-3 OVER off a road loss. 13-7 OVER after playing their last game on the road.
Los Angeles Rams: 3-7 ATS as a home favorite of 7 points or less. 2-6 ATS revenging a road loss against an opponent. 4-8 1H ATS versus good rushing teams - averaging 130 rushing yards/game or more. 4-1 1H OVER after a 2 game road trip.
Key Injuries
Arizona Cardinals: M. Wilson (LB) Out - Concussion. J. Luketa (OLB) Out - Thigh. P. Johnson (OL) Out - Knee. T. Benson (RB) Out - Ankle. K. White (LB) Injured - Illness. J. Blount (SAF) Injured - Knee. M. Prater (K) Injured - Knee. M. Melton (CB) Injured - Shin. Z. Collins (OLB) Injured - Neck. S. Murphy-Bunting (CB) Injured - Hand. R. Lopez (DL) Injured - Ankle. E. Jones (CB) Injured - Ankle. D. Robinson (DL) Injured - Calf. K. Beachum (OL) Injured - NIR - Rest.
Los Angeles Rams: T. Higbee (TE) Injured - Knee. D. Allen (TE) Injured - Shoulder. C. Durant (DB) Injured - Chest. J. Whittington (WR) Injured - Shoulder. D. Robinson (WR) Injured - Shoulder.
Notable Quotes
“I’m not satisfied with the performance of the team. That starts with me. What I’m really saying is that’s an indictment of myself. I’m not satisfied with myself.” - Jonathan Gannon after his team’s loss against the Panthers in their last game.
“Just happy for him to get out there and play. And to be able to cap it off with a touchdown with a great effort at the end, it was awesome.” - Matt Stafford after their win against the Jets in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Arizona Cardinals
WR Wilson, Michael
WR Harrison Jr., Marvin
WR Dortch, Greg
TE McBride, Trey
QB Murray, Kyler
RB Conner, James
Los Angeles Rams
WR Robinson, Demarcus
WR Nacua, Puka
WR Kupp, Cooper
TE Higbee, Tyler
QB Stafford, Matthew
RB Williams, Kyren
Statistical Leaders
Arizona Cardinals
Passing: K. Murray (3288)
Rushing: J. Conner (1090)
Receiving: T. McBride (958)
Touchdowns: J. Conner (9)
Los Angeles Rams
Passing: M. Stafford (3573)
Rushing: K. Williams (1243)
Receiving: P. Nacua (861)
Touchdowns: K. Williams (15)
Coaches:
Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon (2nd season)
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (8th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
