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Opening Cardinals vs Rams Betting Odds and Lines for NFC Wild Card Matchup

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Jan 9, 2022 · 7:24 PM PST

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp running with the ball during a football game.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) runs with the ball after a catch as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson (20) and safety Budda Baker (3) defend during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
  • The Los Angeles Rams are 3.5-point home favorites over the Arizona Cardinals in their NFC Wild Card playoff game scheduled for Monday, January 17
  • It’s the first playoff meeting between the two franchises since 1975
  • The Rams are 9-1 straight up in their last 10 games against the Cardinals

The last time the Rams and Cardinals met in the NFL playoffs, Gerald Ford was in the White House, disco was all the rage and All In The Family was the #1 show on television.

Yeah, it’s been awhile.

In an NFC Divisional Round game at the Los Angeles Coliseum on December 27, 1975, the Rams were 6.5-point favorites over the St Louis Cardinals. They covered easily, winning 35-23. Until this week, it also remained the only postseason game between the two teams.

This time around, the Rams are again the home team. Oddsmakers are setting LA as the 3.5-point home favorites in the opening line. The Rams are 8-1-1 against the spread in their last 10 games against the Cardinals.

Cardinals vs Rams Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Arizona Cardinals +148 +3.5 (-110) O 51 (-110)
Los Angeles Rams -176 -3.5 (-110) U 51 (-110)

Odds as of January 9th at FanDuel

Kickoff is set for 8:15pm ET on Monday at SoFi Stadium. The weather forecast is calling for mainly sunny skies, 2 mph wind and a temperature of 66 degrees. ESPN will be carrying the broadcast.

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Arizona Cardinals Betting Trends

Left with a chance to take the NFC West title when the Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cardinals fumbled it away by losing 38-30 to the 7-10 Seattle Seahawks. Couple that with previous losses to the 3-13-1 Detroit Lions and the 5-12 Carolina Panthers and it’s safe to say the Cardinals don’t do well with prosperity.

Wins in any of those three games give them the division title and home field in this game. At one point 7-0 on the season, Arizona enters the playoffs as the NFC’s #5 seed.

The Cardinals list two All-Pros on IR in defensive tackle JJ Watt and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Arizona is 1-3 since Hopkins went on IR. He suffered a sprained knee in a loss to the Rams at LA. Hopkins is expected back at some point in the postseason.

Los Angeles Rams Betting Trends

Losing 27-24 to the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams (12-5) still are wearing the NFC West title because of Arizona’s loss. In their setback, the Rams squandered a 17-0 lead. The loss halted LA’s win streak at five games.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford and wide reciever Cooper Kupp form the NFL’s most dangerous pass/catch combo. Kupp finished 18 yards shy of Calvin Johnson’s 2012 NFL record of 1,964 yards. Interestingly, Stafford was also Johnson’s QB that season. Kupp was also one catch off the NFL mark of 149 set by Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints in 2019.

Likely Line Movement

The downturn on what was such a promising season for the Cardinals began with a 30-23 loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 13. Entering that game, 10-2 Arizona was holding a two-game lead over the Rams atop the NFC West.

Since then, the Cards closed out the season going 1-4 to finish 11-6. Three of those four setbacks were to teams that didn’t make the playoffs, two of which finished posting losing records on the season.

Oddly enough, Arizona’s only win in that span was over the Dallas Cowboys, the #3 seed in the NFC. The Cardinals are especially dreadful against the Rams. They’ve lost nine of the last 10 games to LA. That being said, Arizona’s last two wins over the Rams both came in LA.

Both of these teams backed into the playoffs. Rams QB Stafford has never won an NFL playoff game. He’s 0-3. But this will be the first time he’ll take the field at the helm of the betting favorite.

Don’t expect a lot of movement in this line.

 

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