The Los Angeles Rams (12-5) will host the Arizona Cardinals (11-6) on Monday Night Football to close out NFL Wild Card Weekend 2022. Los Angeles picked up a loss in Week 18, but still managed to win the NFC West and finish as the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff bracket. Arizona also fell short in Week 18, losing to the Seattle Seahawks and becoming the No. 5 seed. Both teams failed to cover last weekend.
Kickoff from SoFi Stadium is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Los Angeles is favored by four points in the latest Rams vs. Cardinals odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under is 49.5. Before making any Cardinals vs. Rams picks or NFL playoff predictions, see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up more than $7,400 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years ago. The model enters the 2021 NFL playoffs on an incredible 136-97 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past five years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has zeroed in on Rams vs. Cardinals and locked in another confident against-the-spread pick. You can see it only at SportsLine. Now, here are several NFL betting lines for Cardinals vs. Rams:
- Rams vs. Cardinals spread: Los Angeles -4
- Rams vs. Cardinals over-under: 49.5 points
- Rams vs. Cardinals money line: Los Angeles -200, Arizona +170
- AZ: Cardinals are 18-6-3 against the spread in their last 27 games as road underdogs
- LAR: Favorite is 8-2-1 against the spread in their last 11 meetings
Featured Game | Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
Why the Rams can cover
Tight end Tyler Higbee is a big-bodied receiving option for the Rams. Higbee finished the year second on the team in catches (61), third in receiving yards (560), and third in receiving touchdowns (five). The Western Kentucky product has recorded 50-plus receiving yards in four games.
Higbee finished the year off strong. He reeled in six passes for 55 yards with two touchdowns in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Halfway through the second quarter, Stafford threw Higbee a 50-50 ball in the right corner of the end zone. He went up and snagged the pass for a score to help give the Rams a 17-0 lead. Stafford and Higbee have built a strong rapport throughout the year.
Why the Cardinals can cover
Quarterback Kyler Murray is one of the best playmakers in the NFL. Murray has completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,787 passing yards with 24 passing scores. He has blazing speed and can force defenders to miss in the open field. Murray has added 423 yards on the ground with another five rushing touchdowns. The Oklahoma product is averaging 301.2 passing yards per game.
Running back James Conner has been a touchdown machine for Arizona. Conner finished the year tied for second in the NFL with 15 rushing touchdowns. The Pittsburgh product leads the team with 202 carries for 752 rushing yards. Receiver Christian Kirk is a reliable weapon for Arizona and leads the team with 77 receptions for 982 yards with five touchdowns.
How to make Cardinals vs. Rams picks
Now, the model has broken down Rams vs. Cardinals from every angle. The model is leaning under the total, projecting 47 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. See who to back here.
So who wins Rams vs. Cardinals in their NFL Wild Card 2022 game? And which team covers over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rams vs. Cardinals spread you should jump on Monday, all from the advanced model that is up more than $7,400.
