by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Sep 20, 2022
Game Time: 4:25 pm ET, Sunday, September 25, 2022
Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Where to Watch: Fox
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Rams -3.5, Cardinals +3.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Rams -4, Cardinals +4; Over/Under: 49 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Rams -4, Cardinals +4; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Rams: 1-1 (2nd place, NFC West)
Arizona Cardinals: 1-1 (3rd place, NFC West)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Rams: won their last game at home against the Atlanta Falcons 31-27.
Arizona Cardinals: won their last game on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders 29-23 in overtime.
Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Preview and Analysis
The Rams are entering this game with a 1-1 record overall and they are playing their 1st road game of the season here. Their offense is averaging 290 YPG and 20.5 PPG while their defense is allowing 337 YPG and 29 PPG against them. They won their last game at home against the Atlanta Falcons 31-27 and are now playing their 1st divisional game of the season. Matthew Stafford was the starting quarterback in that game and he completed 27/36 passes for 272 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Darrell Henderson led the team in rushing with 47 yards and 1 TD on 10 rushing attempts. Cooper Kupp led the team in receiving with 108 yards and 2 TDs on 11 receptions. Jordan Fuller led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles. Justin Hollins, Bobby Wagner, and Decobie Durant all led the defense in sacks with 1 each while Jalen Ramsey and Decobie Durant each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
The Cardinals are entering this game with a 1-1 record overall and they are playing their 2nd home game of the season here as they are 0-1 in their home games this year. Their offense is averaging 347.5 YPG and 25 PPG while their defense is allowing 406 YPG and 33.5 PPG against them. They won their last game on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders in OT 29-23 and they are now playing their 1st division game of the year. Kyler Murray was the starting QB in that game and he completed 31/49 passes for 277 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Darrel Williams led the team in rushing with 59 yards and 1 TD on 8 carries. Zach Ertz led the team in receiving with 75 yards on 8 catches. Jalen Thompson led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles. J.J. Watt led the defense in sacks with 1 while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Rams vs Cardinals Prediction
The current betting odds have the Cardinals listed as a 3.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cardinals haven't looked great in their games as they were crushed by the Chiefs in Week 1 and they were crushed by the Raiders in the 1st half of their last game. They managed to pull off a comeback in that game as they were down by 20 points and won in OT with a scoop and score TD. Their offense started to click in that 2nd half though and the Cardinals will be ready for the defending Super Bowl champs the way they have been playing so far. The Rams were embarrassed by the Bills in Week 1 but they didn't look any better last week as they took a huge lead over the Falcons by halftime and only won by 4 points, allowing the Falcons to score 17 points in the 4th quarter and almost tie the game up. The Cardinals are off a huge comeback win in their last game so even if they go down early in this game, they are never out with that explosive offense and they will not let a divisional game get out of hand like that here at home either. The Rams are struggling with a bit of a hangover this year and until they show some real improvement, this Cardinals team is just too dangerous on offense to be counted out at any point in the game. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cardinals to cover the spread in this game.
Rams Cardinals Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, September 25, 2022 (4:25 pm ET start time) is Cardinals 33 Rams 27.
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NFL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Rams: 9-21 ATS off a no-cover where the team won as a favorite. 11-6 UNDER as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 20-9 UNDER as a favorite.
Arizona Cardinals: 7-1 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 10-4 ATS as an underdog. 21-14 UNDER in all games.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Rams: B. Brown III (DT) Elig Week 7 - Suspension. V. Jefferson (WR) day-to-day - Knee. T. Howard (LB) Out indefinitely - Groin.
Arizona Cardinals: D. Hopkins (WR) Elig Week 7 - Suspension. R. Moore (WR) day-to-day - Hamstring. A. Isabella (WR) day-to-day - Back.
Notable Quotes
"There's a lot of different, very uncharacteristic things, but they happened. And we still found a way. We're not going to run away from some of the things that we didn't do well today. But we're also going to allow ourselves to appreciate being able to come away with a win." - Sean McVay after his team’s win against the Falcons in their last game.
"They had two people rushing, (so I) knew they weren't going to be able to tackle me. It was just about backyard football at that point. Try to find somebody. Move, get open, make a play." - Kyler Murray after their win against the Raiders in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Rams
WR Robinson II, Allen
WR Skowronek, Ben
WR Kupp, Cooper
TE Higbee, Tyler
QB STAFFORD, MATTHEW
RB Henderson Jr., Darrell
Arizona Cardinals
WR GREEN, A.J.
WR Brown, Marquise
WR Dortch, Greg
TE ERTZ, ZACH
QB Murray, Kyler
RB Conner, James
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Rams
Passing: M. Stafford (512)
Rushing: D. Henderson Jr. (94)
Receiving: C. Kupp (236)
Touchdowns: C. Kupp (3)
Arizona Cardinals
Passing: K. Murray (470)
Rushing: D. Williams (59)
Receiving: G. Dortch (118)
Touchdowns: K. Murray (1)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (6th season)
Arizona Cardinals: Kliff Kingsbury (4th 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.
