Judging from their 2-3 record entering Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams look like they may be in trouble. And they just might be. The NFC West Division is unforgiving. Hovering under .500 is no good, and perhaps very bad. But context is important. And as the Rams get ready to host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 15, at 4:25 p.m. eastern standard time, on the field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, it’s important to note that opportunity is still knocking.
But before we get to that, let’s have a look at the latest NFL online betting odds for Rams vs. Cardinals
Please remember to double-check these online NFL betting odds prior to submitting your wager. Our Rams vs. Cardinals betting odds are accurate entering Thursday, October 12. That gives the best NFL online betting sites more than enough time to make adjustments based on the market ahead of opening kick-off on Sunday afternoon.
Now, back to the Rams. Don’t let their sub-.500 record fool you. They’re a threat. But they also need a win over the Cardinals. Will they get it?
The Los Angeles Rams are Better Than Their Record Suggests
Look, we don’t expect anyone to celebrate Los Angeles’ losing record. But it could be so, so, so much worse. The Rams have played one of the toughest schedules in the NFL to date. Just look at this lineup through the first five weeks:
- Week 1: vs. Seattle Seahawks (won)
- Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers (lost)
- Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals (lost)
- Week 4: at Indianapolis Colts (won)
- Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (lost)
If you’re keeping score at home, Los Angeles’ first five games came against two of the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl (San Francisco, Philadelphia), a should-be contender (Cincinnati) and two of the biggest surprises in the entire league (Seattle, Indianapolis). Truthfully, it’s impressive the Rams currently sit just one game away from .500.
Of course, as we all know, almost only matters in horseshoes. Los Angeles has surrendered critical ground to San Francisco and Seattle, who sit first and second in the AFC West Division. The Rams need a “gimme” game—or something close to it. Fortunately, it appears that’s what they have in the Cardinals.
To be sure, Arizona is another team that’s scrappier than their 1-4 record. Not only did they beat the Dallas Cowboys to get their lone victory, but they’ve been competitive in just about every single game, including tilts against the Niners and Bengals.
Luckily for the Rams, the Cardinals are not some juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Quarterback Kyler Murray has yet to play this season and won’t be available in Week 6. And for as competitive as Arizona might be, they’ve shown a tendency to trail off in the second half. In fact, their performance during the final two quarters is a big driving force behind their 27th-ranked defense. So while Los Angeles hasn’t yet shown more than flickers of dominance on any one side of the field, their average-so-far offense and defense will be more than enough to take down the Cardinals.
OSB Prediction: Los Angeles Rams (-330)
Will Los Angeles Bag a Comfortable Victory Over Arizona?
This is where predicting Cardinals vs. Rams gets a little dicey. Linemakers have Los Angeles winning by a touchdown or more, as you can see below:
- Los Angeles Rams, -7 (-110)
- Arizona Cardinals, +7 (-110)
Two things have us contemplating Arizona’s ability to cover. First, there is their penchant to hang around for two or three quarters. They’re bound to put together another complete game soon. Second, and perhaps most important, the Rams have struggled to move the chains with their rushing game. Los Angeles is 23rd in net yards gained per passing attempt.
On the bright side, the Rams are a solid 12th in net yards gained per completion and have 22 more first downs on the season compared to their opponents. That’s a big deal considering some of the defenses they’ve squared off against.
Finding holes to exploit versus the Cardinals should be easier than game-planning for the Niners, Bengals or even Colts. Only three NFL teams have allowed more passing yards on the season, and they have allowed 558 passing yards over the last two games alone.
That doesn’t make this a given “cover” for the Rams. They have struggled at times to stop the run, and their pass prevention is mediocre despite playing more conservative schemes.
Yet again, though, we must remind ourselves that Los Angeles has faced top-tier talent at almost every turn. The Cardinals will be a break from that stretch. This is a game the Rams should win handedly.
OSB Prediction: Los Angeles Rams, -7 (-110)
It Appears Oddsmakers have Missed the Mark on the Rams vs. Cardinals Over/Under
You have to see the Cardinals vs. Rams over/under to believe it:
- Over 48.5 (-110)
- Under 48.5 (-110)
A 48.5-point line is staggering. Equally shocking, the public has not moved the odds decidedly in favor of one or the other. That’s mind-melting to us.
The Cardinals and Rams have one (1) game of scoring 30 or more points between. Are we really bracing for both of them to cross the quarter-century marker?
“Over” supporters will gesture towards Arizona still managing to field a league-average offense. Cool. They haven’t had that over the past few outings. In the last two games, they’ve failed to score more than 20 points.
Even if the Rams offense goes off after getting roughed up by the Eagles defense in Week 5, this line still feels waaaay too high. We don’t just recommend smashing the “under.” We’d seriously consider offering to sell back some points to increase your potential return.
OSB Prediction: Over 48.5 (-110)
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