Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Matchup Preview (12/6/20): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Week 13 of the NFL will withhold an NFC West matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. The Arizona Cardinals are 6-5 on the season, and a loss would hurt their chances of taking the final spot in the playoffs. The Rams are 7-4 and are in second place in their division, and a loss to them would tie them with the Cardinals and put them at risk for losing out on the playoffs. For odds movement and full matchup history, visit the Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, December 6th, 2020
Time: 4:05 PM ET
Location: State Farm Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
TV Coverage: FOX

Cardinals vs. Rams Live Stream

Where can you watch the Cardinals vs. Rams online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Cardinals vs. Rams Free Online Now.

Injuries:

Arizona Cardinals: Questionable: Jalen Thompson, Justin Murray, IR (COVID): Deionte Thompson, Trent Sherfield
Los Angeles Rams: Questionable: Jalen Ramsey, Terrell Lewis, Brian Allen

Arizona Cardinals Analysis

The Arizona Cardinals are 6-5 on the season and are in third place in the competitive NFC West. If the season ended today, the Cardinals would receive the last wild card spot in the NFC playoffs. But, Minnesota, Chicago, and San Francisco are coming in close. This game is extremely important for the next week as they try to knock off the second place holders in their division.

Kyler Murray has been struggling with a shoulder injury that looked like he was hurting a lot from in their game against the Seahawks two weeks ago. Last week his stats may tell you the same, as he went without a touchdown for the first time in a game this season. Kyler threw for 170 yards and one interception last week. This week, he will take on the Rams’ difficult defense that has allowed a 63.38% completion percentage to their opponents (9th), 203.5 passing yards per game (3rd), and the least amount of passing touchdowns on the season. Plus, they have one of the best pass rushers in the game, Aaron Donald.

Kenyan Drake popped off last week against the Patriots to keep the game close, with 22-78-2 for the Cardinals. This is easily one of his best games of the season, as he has had only one other game with two rushing touchdowns. Arizona, as a team, puts up the 4th most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing touchdowns. Their run game behind Kyler Murray, Kenyan Drake, and Chase Edmonds has been a real asset to their offense. However, the Rams are not afraid to defend the run since they have allowed the 4th least amount of rushing yards per game and the 11th least rushing touchdowns.

Arizona’s defense is pretty solid, ranking in the middle of the pack for most passing defense categories. Defending the run is their one flaw since they allow over 120 yards per game on the ground. But they are in the top ten for the least amount of rushing touchdowns allowed per game, which helps a lot. The Rams, with exception to the past couple of weeks, are a pretty run-heavy team behind Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown, and Cam Akers. As a team, the Rams are in the top ten for rushing yards and touchdowns in the NFL. Arizona will have to scheme well on defense to keep the Rams accountable on offense, their weakest side of the ball.

Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart

QB: Kyler Murray
RB1: Kenyan Drake
RB2: Chase Edmonds
WR1: DeAndre Hopkins
WR2: Larry Fitzgerald
WR3: Christian Kirk
TE: Maxx Williams

Los Angeles Rams Analysis

The Los Angeles Rams are sitting in a great spot for the NFC playoffs; however, a loss to the Cardinals next week would tie both teams and drag them out of their place. Last week, the Rams suffered a tough and key loss to the San Francisco 49ers, who are recovering from injury and dragging themselves from the bottom of the division. The Rams have one of the best defenses in the league but will be taking on possible MVP Kyler Murray next week.

The Rams’ defense will be a huge factor for them in stopping the Cardinals’ offense. The Rams are in the top ten of each defensive category in the passing and running game. Plus, they have produced the 4th most amount of sacks on the season so far. Last week, the Rams held the 49ers to one offensive touchdown and three field goals, but an interception return for a touchdown for the 49ers cost the Rams. Aaron Donald will be key in this game for getting to Murray in the pocket. The Rams’ set of defensive backs will also be extremely important in being able to contain Deandre Hopkins next week too.

Jared Goff has seen a lot for attempts in the past few weeks than he has all season. Jared Goff has been seeing low 30s in pass attempts all season, but lately, Goff had games with 61 and 51 passing attempts. Goff is becoming a bigger part of the offense, instead of relying on their run game and defense to take care of the clock and score. Arizona is pretty average in passing defense, but it is their biggest strength on defense. Goff may see fewer attempts than usual in this contest.

The Rams’ rushing offense as a team is one of the best in the NFL. As a team, they rank in the top ten for rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns per game. Arizona’s biggest defensive weakness is rushing defense, as they are below average in rushing yards allowed. It would not surprise me if the Rams go 50/50 on rushing attempts and passing attempts in this game to keep the Cardinals’ defense guessing.

The Los Angeles Rams could start to break away for a playoff spot with a win against the Cardinals. That would put them at a secure 8-4 spot in the NFC West with a chance of tying for the division lead. If they lose, however, they would be tied with the Cardinals in the division and give the hope back to the teams in the hunt. This game will be crucial for both teams.

Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart

QB: Jared Goff
RB1: Cam Akers
RB2: Darrell Henderson
WR1: Robert Woods
WR2: Cooper Kupp
WR3: Josh Reynolds
TE: Tyler Higbee

Betting Corner Rams -3

Spread: +/- 3
Moneyline: Rams -145, Cardinals +125
Over/Under: 48.5

Prediction

Spread: Rams -3
Moneyline: Rams -145
Over/Under: u48.5

The Rams will most likely take this one for their great balance of offense and defense. It concerns me how Kyler Murray has been playing with his shoulder injury, and the loss of Larry Fitzgerald next week to COVID will hurt them if he cannot return. The Rams are coming off of a tough division loss and could use the win. Rams money line and spread for my selections in this game.

This is a tough one, but both of these teams have pretty decent defenses. Plus, the Rams might run the ball a decent amount to take advantage of the Cardinals’ defense. I would take the under for this game.

Love/Hate Fantasy Picks

Love

Cam Akers has been in the endzone in each of the Rams’ last two games. Those account for the first two touchdowns of his career. Last week, he put up 84 yards off of 9 carries. Specifically, he put up a 61-yard run that led to a goal-line touchdown. The fact that McVay is starting to trust Akers as he finds his rhythm is enough to make him a possible week 13 streamer.

Hate

Christian Kirk has been struggling in fantasy after having a five-week streak of 10+ points per game, where he saw two games with two touchdowns in each. However, in the last three weeks, Kirk has not found the endzone and has under 50 yards in each competition. He has not had a double-digit week since week 9, and I would not recommend starting him against the Rams’ defense.