After a long, chaotic regular season, the NFL Playoffs have finally arrived.
One of the more appealing matchups of Wild Card Weekend will be the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams won the NFC West with a 12-5 record, finishing one game ahead of the 11-6 Cardinals.
Let’s break down this important game with our Cardinals vs Rams predictions and best bets.
Please note that all NFL odds and lines are current as of 4:30 p.m. EST on Friday, January 14.
Cardinals vs Rams Prediction NFC Wild Card Playoffs
The regular season ended on a sour note for the Rams with an overtime loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, snapping their five-game win streak.
Los Angeles couldn’t get much going on the ground with Sony Michel turning 21 carries into just 43 rushing yards. They also couldn’t stop San Francisco’s duo of Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel, who combined for 130 rushing yards on 29 carries.
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The Cardinals also lost during Week 18, falling 38-30 to the Seattle Seahawks. They were destroyed on the ground as Rashaad Penny racked up 190 rushing yards on 23 carries, while Russell Wilson torched them through the air with three touchdown passes.
Both teams will look to bounce back on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in this exciting matchup between divisional foes. They split their two games during the regular season, with the Cardinals winning by 17 points in Los Angeles during Week 4 and the Rams winning by seven points in Arizona during Week 14.
The key to this game might be the continued absence of DeAndre Hopkins (knee), as the Cardinals are 3-4 without him this season. The Rams also have home-field advantage and momentum on their side after passing Arizona in the standings down the stretch.
While this game should be close, look for Los Angeles to prevail.
Prediction: Rams 28, Cardinals 27
Can Matthew Stafford lead the Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Arizona Cardinals in his first postseason game with his new team? (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
Cardinals vs Rams Best Bets
Best Bet: Cardinals +4 (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
Both of these teams had strange home/road splits during the regular season. The Rams were a sparkling 7-2 on the road but just 5-3 at home. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were 3-5 at home and 8-1 on the road.
If there is one thing that Arizona did well this season, it’s playing as underdogs. They were 6-0 against the spread as underdogs, all of which came on the road.
With that in mind, look for them to keep this game close and cover the spread on our NFL gameday odds, even if they don’t win.
Check out more of our Cardinals vs Rams Predictions
Best Bet: Over 49.5 Total Points (-110) at Caesars
Wager: 1 Unit
One thing we know about these teams is that both can score. The Rams averaged 27.1 points per game, while the Cardinals weren’t far behind them at 26.4 points per game. That ranked both of them inside the top 11 in the league.
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In the two games that these teams played against each other this season, they combined for 57 and 53 points, respectively. Arizona’s defense is struggling and has allowed at least 30 points in three of their last five games, so don’t expect Los Angeles to have a difficult time scoring.
Although the Cardinals’ offense isn’t as scary without Hopkins, they could still put up enough points to help push this game to the Over for our NFL bet of the day.
Mike Barner’s Season Record: 20-28-1 (-11.21 units)
Thank you for reading our Cardinals vs Rams Playoffs Predictions! For more NFL betting tips, check out the rest of our NFL Playoffs picks.
