Betting Experts Split on Cardinals vs Rams Spread Picks
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams are set to engage in what's expected to be a tight battle at State Farm Stadium - so tight there's not really a consensus spread for the game.
You'll find books where the Cardinals are favorites whereas the Rams can be found as the heavyweights on others.
It's truly a toss-up heading into Week 12 - here's some different opinions on who will cover tomorrow:
CBS Sports: Cardinals +2.5
Pete Prisco: "The Rams are coming off a comeback victory over the Seahawks, while the Cardinals lost a tough one to the Texans last week. Kyler Murray has played well in his two starts, which I think will continue here. The Cardinals will slow down Matt Stafford and gang to win it."
The Athletic: Rams -1
Vic Tafur: "The Cardinals have been very competitive with Kyler Murray back, and they lost to the Texans last week after failing to convert three fourth downs in the fourth quarter. The Rams’ Matthew Stafford, meanwhile, is playing with a thumb injury and overcame a rough start to pass Johnny Unitas for sixth on the fourth-quarter comebacks list with 35. He used play action on a season-high 33.3 percent of dropbacks against the Seahawks, throwing for 142 yards on such passes. And there is no reason for that not to continue, as the Cardinals are not good against the run and will have to bite."
Covers.com: Rams ML
Jason Logan: "Los Angeles returns RB Kyren Williams, who’s been out since that last meeting with Arizona, in which he rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown. That gives L.A. a nice boost on the ground against an Arizona defense ranked 26th in success rate allowed per run and 28th in run-stop win rate.
"As for defending the pass, the Cardinals don’t discriminate when it comes to making rival QBs look good. They’ve watched rookies, seasoned veterans, and even Deshaun Watson play like Peyton “F-ing” Manning in the past weeks, with opponents boasting an average passer rating of 99.2 on the year.
"Matt Stafford is still a capable QB, ranked Top 10 by PFF, and he could have Cooper Kupp on the field, with the potential to play through an ankle injury.
"Either way, L.A.’s balanced attack should have no trouble taking apart a Cardinals defense that’s still bad when it’s healthy. And it’s not healthy in Week 12."
33rd Team: Cardinals +1
Ryan Reynolds: "These are two similar teams with high-quality quarterbacks supported by below-average rosters. Kyler Murray has two games under his belt after returning from last year’s season-ending knee injury. He has been mobile and explosive in each start, but the Arizona Cardinals‘ offensive outputs have been middling so far.
"Meanwhile, for the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford missed a few throws last week he normally makes; his throwing hand injury appeared to limit his effectiveness against Seattle. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are on the injury report, and if either misses this contest, that’s a big swing in Arizona’s favor."
