The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals in a fascinating NFC West showdown on the Sunday afternoon slate of NFL Week 3. Neither team has had the start they would have wanted and both have 1-1 records after their first two games, with questions for both teams to answer if they are going to be contenders this season. Our NFL experts have picks, predictions and a player prop for Sunday’s big NFC West matchup, so let’s take a closer look at the game.
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NFL Week 3 Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals prediction
It has been far from smooth sailing for the Rams as the reigning Super Bowl champions, and they have a 1-1 record after taking a Week 1 beating from the Buffalo Bills and then clinging on to defy a comeback from the Atlanta Falcons last week. The Cardinals have also had a rocky start to the 2022 season, looking awful in an opening 44-21 loss to the Chiefs, before finally showing some signs of life in the second half of their game against the Raiders last week. They rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to secure a wild 29-23 overtime win on a fumble-return touchdown. With both teams looking to get above .500 for the season, let’s take a look at the odds for Sunday’s game.
Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals spread, odds & betting lines
Point spread: Rams -3; Cardinals +3.5
Total points over/under: 48.5 points
Money line odds: Rams -180; Cardinals +162
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Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals expert picks
We’ve got some great NFL picks for this week’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, including 3-star selections for our spread and total selections!
Against the spread pick: Rams -3 (-115) over Cardinals
The Rams won the Super Bowl last season but they have plenty to prove heading into Week 3 if they want to convince as contenders to retain the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Cardinals were supposed to be competitive this year too but they have not looked great to this point. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has plenty of critics, QB Kyler Murray blows hot and cold and their receiving corps is not what it once was after the departure of Christian Kirk and the suspension of DeAndre Hopkins, while running back James Conner is hampered by an ankle injury.
The Rams seemed to have quickly shaken off their opening loss to the Bills and were much more dominant against the Falcons than the final score of 31-27 indicates, as the Falcons scored 17 fourth-quarter points after the Rams eased up. It cost their backers the cover in that game, but they shouldn’t make that mistake again. The Cardinals are 0-6 against the spread in their last 6 games at home and the Rams look the right pick for Sunday’s game too.
Be sure to check out our full Rams vs Cardinals predictions
Over/Under totals pick: Over 48.5 points (-110)
The Rams’ offensive firepower remains impressive. QB Matthew Stafford and star wide receiver Cooper Kupp have picked up where they left off last season with Allen Robinson joining the party last week. Running backs Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers are contributing too and defenses that are better than the Cardinals will struggle against them this season.
Arizona can also score plenty of points, as we saw in Las Vegas last week. Murray is a wildcard capable of a big play at any time and the Cardinals hope to have RB James Conner back from injury to provide more offensive balance. The Rams should be able to post a decent score, so the question for total bettors is whether the Rams defense can keep the Cardinals off the board or let them into the game the same way they did with the Falcons. The total looks low for two teams who love to throw the football.
Rams vs Cardinals prop bet pick: Zach Ertz (Cardinals) – Over 4.5 receptions (-125)
The LA Rams secondary will be without veteran cornerback Troy Hill, while fellow corner Cobie Durant is day-to-day. With questions at such a key position, Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz could be busy. After a quiet game in Week 1, Ertz had 11 targets, 8 receptions and 75 yards last week against the Raiders. He had 7 targets and 5 receptions against the Rams last season too. This is a likely high-scoring, open game and Ertz is second on the team in targets already with 15.
Be sure to check out all of our expert betting insight, analysis and even more NFL Predictions and Best Bets from the rest of the Week 3 action.
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