Points galore in NFC West divisional duel?
With week six of the National Football League now in full swing, the NFC West clash comes late Sunday night as the Los Angeles Rams host the Arizona Cardinals. A bet on plenty of points in this matchup could prove to be quite worthwhile at first glance.
The fact that both franchises stand with a negative record after five completed games probably surprises few experts. After all, during the offseason, the two NFC West rivals were mentioned time and time again when talking about potential disappointments in the upcoming season. However, the three wins that the two teams have combined to call their own should not obscure the fact that they are still among the surprises of the first third of the season.
Sean McVay’s team defeated the Seahawks and Colts, while losing to the top designated teams from Cincinnati, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Last week, number one receiver Cooper Kupp returned from injury, so the offense is now even harder to count on.
Four losses are already in the books for Arizona, with at least two falling into the “avoidable” category. After their surprise win over the Cowboys in week three, they gave both the 49ers and Bengals a decent run for a long time, so Jonathan Gannon’s team should by no means be underestimated.
Los Angeles Rams – Statistics & current form
Once again, LA fell short against a top team – showing that the team from the “City of Angels” is still some way from the league’s top. However, the offensive output that Los Angeles puts on the field week after week should play a role in the overall picture. They rank eighth in the league with 364 offensive yards per match.
Nacua and Kupp as matchup weapons
In the first four weeks, one rookie made his presence known in the passing game, Puka Nacua. The fifth-round pick pulverized nearly every record and made an almost unbelievable debut in the NFL. He instantly swung into a potential number-one receiver, which he no longer has to be as of last week – due to Kupp’s return. Combined, the two caught 15 passes for 189 yards against Philadelphia. Needless to say, the two will play a crucial role in the Rams vs. Cardinals matchup for our prediction.
However, the passing game around quarterback Matthew Stafford will also have to be the pillar of the offense, because the success in the rungame has been manageable so far. Although the team has a new starting running back in the backfield in Kyren Williams, 3.8 yards per run attempt is still a value that is in the lower third of the league.
Only against division rival San Francisco did the defensive unit concede more than 23 points, putting them at an average of 21.6 that opponents put on the scoreboard against them. All in all, the Raheem Morris defense is not yet convincing. Besides superstar Aaron Donald, the quality to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks is lacking, which also shows 27th in the sack statistics – with only eight sacks.
Key Players:
- QB: Matthew Stafford
- RB: Kyren Williams
- WR: Cooper Kupp
- TE: Tyler Higbee
- K: Brett Maher
Arizona Cardinals – statistics & current form
The Cardinals are – purely statistically – still a bit below the upcoming opponent and so they allowed an average of 27.2 points. Three times they conceded over 30 points and there is definitely a realistic danger that this scenario threatens for the third time in a row in week six. At least 28 points from the Rams vs. Cardinals is already bringing great betting odds to the markets.
Defensively vulnerable, offensively now with injury worries
Adding to that, opponents are usually good at moving the ball against this unit, which can be seen in the statistics. For example, the Cardinals have already allowed 130 first downs – more than any other team. In a direct comparison with the LA defense, however, Arizona has almost twice as many sacks, which is something Matthew Stafford should be wary of.
The Glendale franchise has had surprising success in the rungame in the early weeks. 5.5 yards per running play are second only to Miami in that tally, to which quarterback Joshua Dobbs has also contributed 142 yards. The team’s rushing leader is James Conner, but he was forced off the field with an injury against the Bengals and has been on injured-reserve since Tuesday. So he is definitely out for the game between the Rams and Cardinals. Our prediction is that undrafted rookie Emari Demercado will play the bulk of the snaps.
Still missing is a look at the passing game: with a playmaker signed just days before the season started, it’s no surprise that this doesn’t provide a base for the offense. However, with Marquise Brown and Michael Wilson, there are at least two receivers who have each recorded over 230 receiving yards and five total touchdowns.
Key Players:
- QB: Joshua Dobbs
- RB: Emari Demercado
- WR: Marquise Brown
- TE: Zach Ertz
- K: Matt Prater
Los Angeles Rams – Arizona Cardinals head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The teams have faced each other 90 times, with the LA Rams holding a slight 48-40 edge in wins – with two ties. Of the last 13 head-to-head duels, the LA franchise, which made the move back to the “City of Angels” in 2016 – after 20 years in St. Louis – has won 11 matches.
Arizona has won both of those matches in California, but that’s another statistic that would make a bet on the visitors between the Rams and Cardinals quite risky.
Los Angeles Rams – Arizona Cardinals betting tips
Bookmakers expect an offensive game and set the score line in this match at over/under 48.5 points. Our assessment also goes in the direction of a football spectacle due to the offensive strength of both teams, but we choose the option of Over 46.5 points when the Rams and Cardinals duel.
We think the 6.5 points the home side gets as a handicap on the markets is realistic, especially with James Conner out. That is why we additionally bet on the Rams to win the game by at least seven points. In this matchup, they are clearly the better team in the end, which may even have hopes of making the playoffs.
