When the Rams and Cardinals squared off for the first time this season back in Week 4 – which feels like ages ago – it was Los Angeles that entered as the favorite. Being at home and coming off a 10-point win over the Buccaneers, it wasn’t terribly surprising to see the Rams favored over the then-3-0 Cardinals.
But this time around, it’s the league-leading Cardinals who are favored over the Rams. According to Tipico Sportsbook, the Rams have opened as 2.5-point underdogs to Arizona in Week 14. The over/under is 51.5 points and the Rams are +120 on the money line ($100 bet returns a profit of $120).
This is just the second time all season that the Rams are listed as underdogs. The first instance came in Week 3 against the Bucs when they were 1.5-point underdogs and won 34-24.
Prior to Sunday’s win over the Jaguars, the Rams hadn’t covered the spread since Week 7 against the Lions. They were favored in all three games that they lost to the Titans, 49ers and Packers, and as 16-point favorites against the Texans, they won 38-22 to push on the spread.
The Cardinals are an impressive 9-3 against the spread this season, tied for the second-best record in football. They’re coming off a 33-22 win over the Bears, welcoming back Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins from injury.
The 8-4 Rams are two games back of Arizona, which is 10-2, in the NFC West race. A loss next Monday night will all but lock up the division for the Cardinals, forcing the Rams to make the playoffs as a wild-card team.
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