Jess Root and Howard Balzer make their game picks for Cardinals-Rams in Week 17.
The Arizona Cardinals play their final road game of the season Saturday night against the Los Angeles Rams and can play spoiler as the Rams are in first place in the NFC West.
The Cardinals themselves have been eliminated from division and playoff contention.
They beat the Rams 41-10 in Week 2 in Arizona and have not beaten the Rams in consecutive games 2014.
How will this game play out?
The Cards Wire staff makes its expert picks for the game below.
Cardinals at Rams Week 17 picks and predictions
Jess Root
I expect the Cardinals to bounce back, but they will fall short. The Rams are playing too well and the Arizona defense is just not that great. They keep it close but fall in the end.
Rams 27, Cardinals 24
Howard Balzer
It’s fair to say no one knows what to expect when the Cardinals step on the field to play the Rams in the third game of an NFL Network triple-header Saturday. The Rams were 1-4 at one point this season, including a 41-10 loss to the Cardinals. However, they have been 8-2 since and have won five of their last six games while on the precipice of the NFC West title. Can the Cardinals be spoilers, which would set up a Rams-Seahawks showdown next week? Anything is possible. However, playing with two backup tackles, a possibly compromised James Conner, and with a defense that has a propensity for allowing big plays, it’s surely a long shot.
Rams 27, Cardinals 17
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