Rams vs. Cardinals Picks, Predictions NFL Week 3: Los Angeles and Arizona Renew Rivalry

Connor Cooper

Last Updated: January 1, 0001 12:00 AM EST • 2 min 48 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images via AFP.

The Los Angeles Rams look to extend their recent domination of the rival Arizona Cardinals. Here are our top Rams-Cardinals picks for Week 3.

State Farm Stadium has been a second home recently for the Rams (1-1), who covered the spread in each of their last seven trips to Glendale. They opened as 4.5-point favorites for Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals (1-1).

Here are our top Rams-Cardinals picks for NFL Week 3 (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbook).

Rams vs. Cardinals Game Info

Date: Sunday, Sept, 25, 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Weather: 101 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 3-mph winds

Rams vs. Cardinals Odds Analysis

Despite 67% of tickets being on the visiting Rams, the Cardinals drew 66% of the money in the early betting action, causing Arizona to drop from +4.5 to +3.5 as of Thursday afternoon.

There has also been a significant disparity in action on the total, with 75% of bettors favoring the Over but 71% of money on the Under. At the time of writing, the Over/Under sat at 48.5, down drastically from the opener of 51.5.

Rams vs. Cardinals Picks

Spread: Rams -3.5 (-105 via DraftKings) ★★★★
Over/Under: Under 48.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ★★★★
Prop pick: Tyler Higbee Over 4.5 receptions (-127 via Caesars) ★★★★

Rams vs. Cardinals ATS Pick

Rams -3.5 (-105) ★★★★

When it comes to the final-scores-can-be-misleading department, these two teams are Exhibit A. Los Angeles struggled to beat the woeful Falcons last week, needing an end zone interception in the final minute to seal a 31-27 victory as double-digit chalk, while Arizona won outright as 5.5-point underdogs in Las Vegas.

Apply context to those results, though, and you’ll get a much different picture of where these two teams stand. Los Angeles led the Falcons 28-3 late in the third quarter before allowing Atlanta back into the game with mental mistakes (including a blocked punt return TD and a rare fumble by Cooper Kupp), while Arizona needed several miraculous plays by Kyler Murray and a fourth-and-goal conversion on the final play of regulation just to get into OT, then won on a fumble return touchdown.

LA has dominated the Cardinals in the Sean McVay era, winning nine of the last 10 meetings and covering each of its last seven trips to the desert. Meanwhile, Arizona hasn’t covered a spread in six straight at home, where it has won just three of its last nine outings. Look for the Rams to build another big lead this week, but this time hold on for a comfortable victory and cover.

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Rams vs. Cardinals O/U Pick

Under 48.5 (-110) ★★★★

Once again, I think we’re getting value here from last week’s misleading final scores. There were just 31 points scored in the first 42 minutes of LA’s game against Atlanta, and the Cardinals didn’t score a point until midway through the third quarter of their win over the Raiders. Each game also featured defensive touchdowns.

If you’re worried about some fourth-quarter fireworks sabotaging the full-game Under once again, you might want to consider a First Half Under instead. The Rams have stayed below the first half total in nine of their last 10 games, while the Cardinals have scored just one touchdown in the opening 30 minutes this season.

Rams vs. Cardinals Prop Pick

Higbee Over 4.5 receptions (-127)

Tyler Higbee has gone over this number in each of the Rams’ first two games, garnering 12 catches for 110 yards this season. But the most noteworthy stat about Higbee’s usage this year is his number of targets, as Rams QB Matthew Stafford has already thrown 20 passes in his direction.

There’s little reason to expect the Rams won’t be looking Higbee’s way a lot again on Sunday. Arizona has had issues defending the middle of the field lately, allowing the Raiders to complete nine of 12 passes to tight ends last week for 77 yards. Going back to last year, opposing tight ends have recorded five or more catches in six of the Cardinals’ last seven games, and they’ve been held below four just once in the last 12.

Where to Bet on Rams vs. Cardinals Picks

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Rams-Cardinals picks made 9/22/2022 at 2 p.m. ET

Written By:
Connor Cooper

Connor Cooper is a contributing writer for Sportsbook Review, specializing in the National Football League and college football, as well as the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association. A diehard Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan growing up in Toronto, Connor quickly shed all his allegiances once he realized that making money betting on sports was much more fun than cheering for his favorite team. He still holds a soft spot for the Leafs, Jays, Toronto Raptors, Denver Broncos, and Florida Gators, but Connor won’t hesitate to bet on — or against — anybody if that’s where the value lies. In addition to analyzing recent and season-long statistics, Connor always looks to account for the human element when breaking down games, weighing situational and motivational factors into his handicapping process.