Cardinals vs. Rams Week 17 Prediction
NFC West rivals with nothing on the line but pride will square off in L.A. on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET when the 8-7 Rams host the 5-9 Cardinals. With QB Kyler Murray expected to start for Arizona, are the Cardinals a good value play?
Game Snapshot
127 Arizona Cardinals (+7.5) at 128 Los Angeles Rams (-7.5); O/U 45
4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 29
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
According to our NFL Public Betting Chart page, the Rams are drawing 57% of the betting tickets ahead of tonight’s game.
Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Spin
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Kyler Murray (hamstring) is expected to play Week 17 against the Rams. Murray needs to escape pre-game warmups without having a setback, but the Cardinals are “planning for” him to suit up in the season finale. There is nothing to really play for with both teams eliminated from playoff contention, but Murray could take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year with a big game to close out the season. If Murray is ruled out or pulled early, Brett Hundley would head under center with Drew Anderson as his backup
Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Spin
Coach Sean McVay hinted the Rams could rest some of their key starters in the Week 17 finale against the Cardinals. Beat writer Cameron DaSilva wouldn’t “be the least bit surprised if Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Evans, and others are either limited in their playing time or don’t see the field at all” against Arizona. McVay wants to find that balance of trying to win the game but also not exposing his dinged-up players to unnecessary hits in a meaningless game. The Rams may be a team to avoid in Week 17 fantasy leagues despite the plus-plus matchup.
Arizona
The Cardinals are winless against the spread in their last five meetings with the Rams overall, but the road team has covered in eight of the previous 10 meetings between these two teams.
Los Angeles
The favorite has covered in six straight meetings between these NFC West rivals.
NFL Week 17 Prediction
This is too many points to lay against an Arizona team coming off its best effort on the season in a dominant win over the Seahawks in Seattle. The Cardinals defense has not played well this season but looked like a different unit last week, suffocating Russell Wilson and a banged-up Seattle team. The Rams, meanwhile, have nothing to play for after they were eliminated last Saturday in their loss to the 49ers. For a team that went to the Super Bowl a season ago, I can’t imagine that the Rams will get up for this one.
NFL WEEK 17 PREDICTION: ARIZONA CARDINALS +7.5