Arizona vs St. Louis Betting?
Arizona had won 10 of its previous 11 meetings with St. Louis heading into last season, but the Rams turned the tide, beating the birds 17-3 in Week 5, a loss from which Arizona would never recover.
When: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013 at 4:30 PM EST
Where: Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO
TV: FOX
LINE: -6 (Rams), O/U 40
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From there, the Cards went into a tailspin, losing 11 of their last 12 games of the season, including a 31-17 home loss to the Rams, to finish with a 5-11 record.
It was a real let down after the Cards began the season with a perfect 4-0 record that included perhaps the biggest upset of the year, when they won at New England 20-18 in Week 2.
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Nevertheless, the loss at St. Louis ended the team’s early success, and eventually Ken Whisenhunt’s coaching career in Arizona.
Now, new head coach Bruce Arians will try to get the redbirds back on track against Jeff Fisher’s squad, who after a 3-1 start, went 7-4 to end the 2012-13 season.
But it still remains to be seen if Arians has all the right tools to get the job done, as the Cards made mediocre efforts at best to retool its sputtering offense, adding quarterback Carson Palmer, guard Jonathan Cooper and running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Meanwhile, the Rams are coming off an impressive season where they posted a 4-1-1 record in division play and earned home wins over playoff contenders Washington, Seattle and San Francisco. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
For that, the Rams head into this match up listed as a six-point favorite and with the Over/Under set at 40 points.
And why not?
Even though the horns lost running back Steven Jackson and are the youngest team in the NFL, they got faster and more talented during the offseason.
Add to that quarterback Sam Bradford’s quick delivery and a defense that is the real deal, and the Rams success this season might just stir up enough support to get them into a new stadium.
Okay, so maybe that’s still wishful thinking for Rams fans, but it’s not as far fetched an idea as it was just five seasons ago.
I expect St. Louis to reel off a 4-0 start in 2012, beginning with a win here over the Cardinals who will still be adjusting to their new head coach.
Both teams have a good enough offense to put up the total here, but the Rams tough defense should make a strong case for the Under, especially since eight of the last 10 games overall between these two teams have been below the number, including four of five when the contest was played in St. Louis.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Rams 21, Cardinals 17.
