NFC West division rivals Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams are slated to see each other this coming in Inglewood, weeks after they last met. This time, everything is on the line. Who moves to the next round? Who goes home early? Check out our preview below of this Cardinals-Rams Wild Card matchup?
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Betting Preview for the Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams NFC Wild Card Game on January 17, 2022
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
When: Monday, January 17, 2022, 8:15 PM ET
Line: Arizona Cardinals (+3.5) vs Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) – view all 2022 NFL lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the Arizona Cardinals (+3.5)
Regular Season Record: 11-6
The Cardinals are lucky they have had a 7-0 start to the season. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t have clinched a berth in the playoffs, as Arizona went just 4-6 the rest of the way. The Cardinals also lost their regular-season finale to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 at home, 38-30. Still, Arizona is a dangerous team. It’s got a dynamic quarterback in Kyler Murray, who is mostly driving the Cardinals’ offense that averaged 26.4 points per game in the regular season. Murray will look to redeem himself this time against the Rams. In the first meeting with Los Angeles in Week 14’s 30-23 home loss for Arizona, Murray went 32/49 for 383 passing yards but was not able to pass for a touchdown while also getting intercepted twice. The Cards are also hoping that running back James Cooner would ultimately be given the green light to play. Conner is currently labeled questionable with a rib injury.
The Cardinals are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 road games.
Betting on the Los Angeles Rams (-3.5)
Regular Season Record: 12-5
Unlike the Cardinals, the Rams have a pretty solid final stretch of the regular season. They went 5-1 straight up in their last six games, with the lone blemish coming in Week 18’s 27-24 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at home. The Rams have gone all in this season. Acquiring wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and linebacker Von Miller midseason make Los Angeles a bigger threat to the rest of the NFL, offensively and defensively. But the one who ties them all together is Matthew Stafford, who needs to be sharp against the Cardinals. He was exactly that in the previous meeting with Arizona, tossing 287 passing yards and three touchdowns without a pick on 23/30 completions. Cooper Kupp, the NFL’s receiving yards leader this season, toyed with the Cardinals’ defense and racked up a total of 123 yards and a touchdown on 13 catches and 15 targets. He should feel good about his chances again versus Arizona’s defense that had just been dismantled by Seattle in Week 18.
The Rams are 5-4 against the spread in their last nine home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rams win, 28-24.
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