Cardinals Looking For Road Win Against Revitalized Rams
While the St. Louis Rams (2-5 SU, 3-4 ATS, 4-3 O/U) lost their last contest on Sunday, they are clearly a different team now that Jim Haslett has taken over as head coach.
The Arizona Cardinals (4-3 SU, 3-4 ATS, 4-3 O/U) are hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and could use a huge road win in this contest to help them get there.
BetUS NFL online sports betting buffs should be treated to a competitive affair when the teams meet at the Edward Jones Dome in a battle of NFC West division rivals on Sunday.
The Rams lost to New England 23-16 on Sunday, but covered the spread as a 9-point road underdog in Week 8 and have looked very solid under head coach Jim Haslett after dropping their first four games of the season under former head coach Scott Linehan,
Quarterback Marc Bulger completed 18 of 34 passes for 301 yards with one touchdown and an interception and backup running back Antonio Pittman added 83 rushing yards on 19 carries while wide receiver Donnie Avery caught six passes for 163 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams also picked off Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel twice but didn’t have an answer for veteran running back Kevin Faulk who accounted for 107 total yards of offense and one touchdown.
“Four weeks ago, we would have looked at this game as a win” because it was close, Bulger said, “but we’re disappointed.”
The Cardinals lost to Carolina 27-23 on Sunday, but managed to cover the spread for backers as a 5.5-point road underdog.
Veteran quarterback Kurt Warner completed 35 of 49 passes for 381 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but the Cardinals were burned defensively by Panthers explosive wide receiver Steve Smith for five catches totaling 117 yards and two touchdowns.
“We did a lot of good things,” Warner said. “It’s a good football team, but bottom line we made one too many mistakes.”
Here is a look at the key trends for each team, followed by my in-depth analysis and NFL Free Picks.
Arizona is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Arizona is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona’s last 6 games
Arizona is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
St. Louis is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis’s last 6 games
St. Louis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home
NFL Odds
Arizona Cardinals -3 Ev
St. Louis Rams +3 -120
Over 49 -110
Under 49 -110
Analysis: These two teams are more evenly matched than most people may think despite the difference in their respective records. While the Rams are playing much better and are at home in this contest, I like the Arizona Cardinals to find a way to, not only cover the spread, but eke out a close win on the road.
I also like the Under here even thought the cardinals have one of the best offenses in all of football as the Rams have been playing outstanding defense under Haslett.
