The Arizona Cardinals might be 5-9-1, but they have won two in a row, including a 38-24 beating of the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago, followed by a shocking 27-13 undressing of the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field last week. Now they finish their slate in Los Angeles against the Rams, who saw their playoff hopes come to an end at home last week as they fell to the San Francisco 49ers on a last-second field goal. The Rams came out of the gate with a 3-0 start and seemed poised to escape the trap of Super Bowl hangover, but then they dropped three straight and have been inconsistent all season long. Two weeks ago, they did something that no other team with a winning record has done all year — lose to Dallas, and they lost by 23 points. Then came the setback last week, and it will be interesting to see whether the Rams use the Cardinals as a whipping post, as they did in Week 13 with a 34-7 rout, or whether they lie down for their third loss in a row. Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this NFC West clash.
Cardinals vs Rams 2019 NFL Week 17 Lines & Betting Prediction
Defeating the Monstars, one Fitz at a time. pic.twitter.com/0MUVNbgEmH
— Arizona Cardinals ⋈ (@AZCardinals) December 26, 2019
- When: Sunday, December 29, 2019, 4:25 pm ET
- Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
- TV: FOX
- Radio: ESPN 620 AM Phoenix / KSPN 710 AM Los Angeles
- Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
- NFL Odds: Los Angeles -7 / O/U 49
Why should you bet on Arizona?
Kyler Murray has emerged as an impressive young quarterback in the NFL this year. He has thrown for 3,279 yards and 17 scores. However, the lack of anyone else (such as tailback David Johnson) emerging in the running game, as well as the fact that the Cardinals don’t have much of an offensive line, mean that Murray has had to run for his life a lot. He leads the team in rushing yards with 504, scoring four touchdowns with his legs.
The Rams have covered in 14 of their last 20 games — and the Cardinals have failed to cover in five straight games against the Rams. However, the intangibles make a strong case for the Cardinals here. The Rams just saw their postseason hopes come to an end last week, so while they may have some frustration to work out early, it is hard to see this team making a sustained effort against a Cardinals team that is still figuring out its identity. The rout that the Rams dealt the Cardinals on their home field four weeks ago likely still rankles Arizona, and that could lead to more solid preparation by the Cardinals — and a much better result.
Why should you put your money on the Rams?
The Rams’ offense has been productive all season long, particularly in the passing game. Jared Goff has thrown for 4,319 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Tailback Todd Gurley II leads the team in rushing yards — but just with 789, as the Rams have been pass-heavy. Gurley has found the end zone when the team has hit the red zone, though, as he has scored 12 times. On the defensive side of the ball, Aaron Donald leads the team with 12 ½ sacks on the season.
A question mark hanging over this game is the health of Kyler Murray. He left the Cardinals’ win over Seattle with a hamstring injury, and he remains questionable for Week 17 — so you’ll want to check out the latest injury report before you lock in a wager. Even if Murray can play, his mobility, which is a major part of his game, would likely be at least somewhat limited. If you like the Cardinals, you see the Rams mailing it in after dropping games to Dallas and San Francisco, while the Cardinals finish the impressive run that they have used to conclude this season.
Final Score Prediction
I’m a big fan of what Kyler Murray has been able to accomplish, but I’m not sure he can lead his team to what would be a big road win hobbled by injury. I predict a final score of Los Angeles 27, Arizona 16.
