Opening Odds in Cardinals vs Rams Week 17 Matchup Favor LA by 4.5 Points
- The Los Angeles Rams are 4.5-point home favorites over the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 17 NFL game
- Saturday/Sunday betting record: 10-5; +4.03 units
- The Rams won 38-28 at Arizona on Nov. 23rd – find out how we think the line will move closer to kickoff
The math for both the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals adds up very simply.
When it comes to the NFC playoff picture, the winner of Sunday’s game in LA between will be in as a Wild Card participant. The loser will need some help to qualify.
The losing team will need the Chicago Bears to also lose in order to make the postseason. Should the 9-6 Rams, 8-7 Cardinals and 9-6 Bears all end up 9-7, the Rams would be the odd team out in the three-way tiebreaker.
Oddsmakers are anticipating the Rams will take care of business. LA is opening as a 4.5-point favorite. The Rams are 6-0-1 against the spread in their last seven games against the Cardinals.
Cardinals vs Rams Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | OFF | +4.5 (-110) | OFF |
| Los Angeles Rams | OFF | -4.5 (-110) | OFF |
Odds taken Dec. 27th at FanDuel
The Rams won 38-28 at Arizona on Nov. 23rd.
Rams Stumble Against Seahawks
LA went into action Sunday still with a chance to wear the NFC West crown. However, a 20-9 road loss at Seattle clinched the division title for the Seahawks.
That leaves the Rams poised for a possible replay of their 2019 scenario. Last season, the team came up one win shy of qualifying for postseason play.
#LARvsSEA
The Hawks have won the NFC West and there will… after 4 seasons… finally be a home game in Seattle for the postseason!!!!!!! Meanwhile the Rams may miss the PLAYOFFS!!! pic.twitter.com/nxxfJpBitG— Nest Hawklings (@nextyear_city65) December 28, 2020
Costly 23-20 losses to the 5-10 San Francisco 49ers and 2-13 New York Jets during the past five weeks have ended up placing the Rams in their current precarious position.
Sunday’s game in Seattle was tied 6-6 at halftime. In the second half, Seattle outscored LA 14-3 and limited the Rams’ offense to 155 total yards.
Cardinals Sins
If Arizona ends up watching other NFC teams take part in the NFL postseason, they’ll only need to look at the number of games they let slip away to weak clubs as the cause of this dilemma.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 28, 2020
Saturday, a 20-12 setback to the 5-10 49ers was the latest example of this malady. There’s also been a 26-23 setback to the 5-10 Detroit Lions, a 31-21 loss to the 5-10 Carolina Panthers and a 20-17 defeat handed them by the 6-8 New England Patriots.
Injury Report
Making matters worse for the Rams, quarterback Jared Goff appeared to dislocate his right thumb when his hand struck the helmet of Seahawks defensive lineman Benson Mayowa. Television cameras caught what looked like Goff popping his thumb back into place.
After the game, Rams head coach Sean McVay declined to elaborate on Goff’s condition for this week’s game. NFL.com is reporting that Goff suffered a broken thumb. If Goff can’t go, John Wolford, formerly the starter for the AAF’s Arizona Hotshots, would take over under center.
Jared Goff’s thumb was dislocated on the field, the team fears it is broken, and he will have more testing in LA on Monday – and Rams still don’t know if he can play next week vs. Arizona. They expect to know more in 48-72 hours. https://t.co/5aTf5QZkTK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 28, 2020
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is listed as questionable for Sunday as well after suffering a late-game leg injury in the loss to the 49ers. Also questionable among Arizona staters in the early-week injury report are wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (stomach) and strong safety Jalen Thompson (ankle).
For the Rams, running back Cam Akers (ankle) is listed as out and running back Darrell Henderson (ankle) is questionable.
Trend Spotting
Overall, Arizona has lost seven straight games to the Rams. However, on the road, the Cardinals are 10-4 SU in their past 14 games against the Rams.
And so the winner of Cardinals-Rams in Week 17 is guaranteed a playoff spot no matter what happens throughout the rest of the day next Sunday.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 28, 2020
Clearly, the movement on the line for this game is going to be dictated by Goff’s ongoing status. If he’s out for the game, expect there to be significant money wagered on the Cardinals. Wolford has never taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
