Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Matchup Preview (12/13/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Matchup Preview (12/13/21)

It was widely accepted heading into this season that the NFC West was the toughest division in football. You had Russell Wilson and Seattle coming off nine straight winning seasons, the new Los Angeles Rams led by Matt Stafford poised to make a deep playoff run, and the San Francisco 49ers, only one year removed from a Super Bowl appearance, rounding it out. The Arizona Cardinals were more or less an afterthought — more well known for their Instagram highlights than their playoff pedigree.

Fast forward to week 14, and the Arizona Cardinals are clearly the class of the division with the best record in the NFL and an MVP front runner in Kyler Murray. Coming off consecutive wins against the Bears and Seahawks, the Cardinals look to secure their first 11 win season since 2015 with a win this Monday. The Rams, meanwhile, have lost 3 of their last 4 after starting the season 7-1. With Seattle plagued by dysfunction and San Francisco still finding their identity, the Rams appear set to make the playoffs, though where they end up in the final picture will largely be determined by the outcome of Monday night’s game.

Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Betting Odds

Betting Trends

Rams are 25-12-1 ATS in their last 38 vs. NFC
Rams are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win
Rams are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games following a win of more than 14 points
Cardinals are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall
Cardinals are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win
Cardinals are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 Monday games

The Pick

The Cardinals enter this primetime Monday night showdown as 2.5 point home favorites. In a game that features two of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, I like the under as I think the Cardinals defense is one of the more underrated units in the league and this is a get right spot for the star studded Rams defense against a quarterback still nursing an injury. Carrying some momentum off a 30 point win the week before, I like the Rams to win and cover this weekend. This is a divisional game against two rivals where one team is more overvalued than the other. If Andy Dalton doesn’t throw 4 picks last weekend, who’s to say Arizona doesn’t come into this game off a loss. Something still doesn’t look right with Kyler coming off an injury, and for that reason, I love the Rams.

My Prediction: Rams win and cover 25-22, under hits (u51.5)

TV Schedule

Date: Monday, December, 13
Time: 8:15 PM ET
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium — Glendale, AZ
TV Coverage: ESPN

Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Live Stream

Where can you watch Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals 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 Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Free Online Now.

Injuries

Los Angeles Rams: WR Robert Woods (Knee (ACL)) O, NT Sebastian Joseph-Day (Chest) O, RB Cam Akers (Achilles) O, OLB Justin Hollins (Pectoral) O, WR Juston Sumpter (Undisclosed) Q, CB David Long Jr (Illness) Q
Arizona Cardinals: DE JJ Watt (Shoulder) O, RB Chase Edmonds (Ankle) O, G Justin Pugh (Calf) Q, TE Maxx Williams (Knee) O

Los Angeles Rams Analysis

What goes up, must come down. This Rams team came into the season with all the public hype as fans penciled them in as a top 3 seed in the NFC. While they did start off hot, going 7-1 through their first 8, they’ve dropped 3 of their last 4 with Stafford throwing a pick 6 in all 3 losses. It’s becoming pretty clear at this point that Sean McVay’s teams tend to follow a certain arc. They often start off hot through the first half of the season, cool off a bit in November and December, and then heat up again around playoff time. Last week’s route of Jacksonville may suggest that this team is entering the “heat up again” phase, though it’s hard to extrapolate anything from games against the Jags.

It should be noted that the Rams have had to deal with more major personnel changes in the last month than any team in the NFL. Between injuries to Robert Woods and Cam Akers along with the additions of Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr, there has been a lot of upheaval in this organization that’s coincided with the toughest stretch on their schedule. It takes time for these acquisitions to mesh and I think the extra day of prep benefits the Rams.

As reckless as it’s been at times, this Rams offense is the best big play unit in the league. They average a league best 6.2 yards per play and have more 40-plus yard plays than any other team. Matt Stafford is fourth in the league in yards per completion, trailing only Arizona, San Francisco, and Cincinnati, respectively. Their run defense is ranked seventh in the NFL in YPG, and their pass defense is ranked 16th by the same token. Similar to their offense, they have one of the best yards per play defenses, allowing only 5.1 yards a snap — fourth best in the NFL.

Chicago Bears Depth Chart

QB: Matthew Stafford
RB1: Sony Michel
RB2: Darrell Henderson Jr
WR1: Cooper Kupp
WR2: Odell Beckham Jr
WR3: Van Jefferson
TE1: Tyler Higbee

Arizona Cardinals Analysis

Where Matt Stafford ranks fourth in the NFL in yards per completion, Kyler Murray ranks first at 8.5 yards per completion. This Cardinals offense ranks third in the league in points per game and second in turnover differential at plus 12. Their three game stint with Colt McCoy which saw them go 2-1 is proof that this team is more than just the Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins show.

Defensively, they rank 6th in the NFL in opponent yards per play and second in 4th quarter points allowed. With the fourth best third down defense in the NFL they’re able to get stops when they need to and often force field goals instead of touchdowns in the red zone. With one of the fastest scoring offenses in the league, they rarely need to lean on their defense, though they can when they need to — something that will become increasingly important as the weather worsens in December and January.

Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart

QB: Kyler Murray
RB1: James Conner
RB2: Chase Edmonds
WR1: Christian Kirk
WR2: DeAndre Hopkins
WR3: AJ Green
TE1: Zach Ertz

Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Picks

Since Robert Woods got injured, Matt Stafford has loved targeting Van Jefferson. The WR has had at least 7 targets in every game since Halloween, though he is only averaging 3.8 catches a game. I think more of these targets turn into completions against the Cardinals secondary and Van stakes his claim as a true value play. He is currently listed at $5,500 on DraftKings and $6,100 on FanDuel.