In the third of three Saturday games in Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams host the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. We’ll continue diving into all of the stand-alone games this season, and this one isn’t any different. With that in mind, keep reading for betting odds, picks and player props for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 17 NFL Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
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How To Watch Cardinals vs. Rams
When: Saturday, December 28th at 8:00 pm ET
Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Channel: NFL Network
Cardinals vs. Rams Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday, December 27th. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Rams -325, Cardinals +260
Spread: Rams -6.5 (-112), Cardinals +6.5 (-108)
Total: Over 47.5 (-112), Under 47.5 (-108)
Cardinals vs. Rams Analysis
Without some help, the Rams can’t clinch the NFC West with a win over the Cardinals. However, Los Angeles will be looking very good with a win, and Arizona has already been eliminated from playoff contention. So, there’s a pretty clear difference in motivation heading into this game. And honestly, the Cardinals looked visibly defeated when they went to overtime against the Panthers last week. I’m curious to see what their energy is like when they get on the field in Week 17. But I am not expecting a strong effort from Arizona.
The Cardinals absolutely pounded the Rams when these teams met in Week 3, as Arizona earned a 41-10 win in a pick’em game. However, Los Angeles was a different team at the start of the season. The Rams were 1-4 through five games, with injuries having a lot to do with that. But since then, Los Angeles has won eight of its last 10. That stretch includes victories over Minnesota, Seattle and Buffalo, so it wasn’t just cupcakes. Also, since Week 5, the Rams are 13th in the league in EPA per play (0.063) and 10th in EPA per play allowed (-0.013). This has been a strong, balanced team since the group got healthy. That said, I’m not factoring in the first meeting between these teams at all. In fact, I think the Los Angeles loss will help the team here. Under Sean McVay, the Rams are 9-6 straight-up and 10-5 against the spread when facing an opponent they lost to earlier in the season.
It’s also just very hard to imagine Arizona scoring enough points to win this game — or even keep it close. Sure, Kyler Murray is a very talented quarterback, but the Cardinals were struggling offensively before getting to face the Patriots and Panthers in their last two games. In their three previous games, Arizona combined to score just 46 points in two meetings with Seattle and a game against Minnesota. And this Rams defense is a lot more like the Seahawks or Vikings than it is the Patriots or Panthers.
Los Angeles simply has a better offense, defense and quarterback-coach combination than Arizona does. And that’s something I very much look for in a game.
With all of that in mind, if I had to take somebody in this game, I’d lay the points with Los Angeles. However, I’d probably prefer to go Under if I needed to do something here. The Under has hit in three of the last four games the Rams have played. Their defense is really coming on strong, and McVay likes to control games with the legs of Kyren Williams. The 24-year-old has rushed for 104 or more yards in three of his last four games. He rushed for 87 yards in the other one. And if Los Angeles is running well, that will keep the clock moving when the team is on offense. That should help the case for a low-scoring game. But I will note that I’m not playing the side or the total here. You can find out how I’m attacking this thing below.
Cardinals vs. Rams Player Props
Kyren Williams Over 19.5 Rushing Attempts (-114)
As previously mentioned, Williams has rushed for at least 87 yards in each of his last four games. He has also gotten at least 23 carries in each of his last three. Well, I don’t see any reason for Los Angles to stop feeding him here. Only five teams in the NFL have a worse Rush EPA per play allowed than Arizona (-0.023). The Rams should be able to move the chains on the ground, and Williams will be the one that handles the heavy workload. I know Williams only had 12 carries the last time these teams met, but that was a blowout and a bad game script. This one should play out differently.
Cardinals vs. Rams Pick
I’m not playing anything in this game on its own, but I did parlay the Rams with the Buccaneers as one of my Week 17 best bets. However, if you’re just looking for something in this one game, I’d suggest going Under the total. This Cardinals offense hasn’t proven that it can be trusted to put up a lot of points, and we know the Rams would like to run the football.
Lean: Under 47.5 (-105)
