The NFL is cyclical. And the salary cap is responsible for that. Veterans need to be paid. So, you’ll find existing divisional powerhouses, like the Los Angeles Rams trying to hold onto the key pieces that helped them win the Super Bowl. And they need to fend off the young ascending teams - like the Arizona Cardinals. 

That’s where we stand when it comes to Week 2 Rams vs. Cardinals predictions. The “little brother” Arizona Cardinals are actually one-point favorites at home against the Los Angeles Rams for the first time in a long time. Do the tides turn? Or can the elder statesmen Matthews Stafford and Cooper Kupp hold off Kyler Murray and his young weapons like Marvin Harrison and Trey McBride?

Even if you just want to see the Rams vs. Cardinals odds and have Rams vs. Cardinals picks of your own, don’t forget to scroll down at the end to see how you can scoop up a $1,500 BetMGM Sportsbook sign-up bonus! We suggest you do a trail on our “best bets” as I went 4 for 4 on ours last week!

 

 

 

Rams vs. Cardinals Predictions For NFL Week 2, Sunday 9/15

Last year, the Los Angeles Rams not only won both games, but they also covered the spread both times. The first game was played without Kyler Murray which was an easy one for LA. The second game had only a 3-point spread with Murray back yet the Rams crushed the predictions and won handily, 37-14

This isn’t last year’s Arizona Cardinals though, as they just held up against a strong Buffalo Bills team just last week. They fell short 34-28 but did cover the 7-point spread. The Rams also lost last week to the Detroit Lions though they did not cover the spread (though just barely as they lost 26-20 with a 5.5 spread). Let’s take a look at the teams and important storylines to get a feel for the game. 

 

 

 

Los Angeles Rams: Replacing Puka Nacua

We mentioned that “this isn’t last year’s Arizona Cardinals” but it’s not last year’s Los Angeles Rams either. The big departure was obviously the retirement of Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald. His absence was certainly felt last week - especially on the final overtime drive where David Montgomery could not be stopped pounding the rock up the gut. 

On offense they were already missing last year’s starting tight end Tyler Higbee due to a knee injury. They’ll now also be without star breakout Puka Nacua after he landed on IR with a knee injury. Cooper Kupp got 21 targets last week, but someone will need to step up in Nacua’s absence here.

Demarcus Robinson is your reliable veteran. But we’ve seen nine years of Robinson and he’s yet to crack 500 yards in a season. Tyler Johnson was the third man last week, but he also hasn’t impressed in four seasons in the NFL. 

Jordan Whittington stood out in preseason but hardly played last week - maybe it’s worth giving the unknown upside some extra looks? That would be fun, but it will likely just be a bigger dose of Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams with Demarcus Robinson and tight end Colby Parkinson picking up extra snaps. 

 

 

 

Arizona Cardinals: Will Marvin Harrison Jr Step Up?

The interesting aspect of the Arizona Cardinals keeping it so close is that their star rookie wide receiver, who they drafted at 4 overall, did not make much of an impact at all.  

I mean, I guess you could argue that he drew coverage to open things up underneath but, when you spend a pick like that on a guy like him, you expect more than one catch for four yards. He’s a rookie after all but he’s supposed to be a “generational talent”. As Rich Hribar pointed out on Twitter, however, it might not entirely be Marvin Harrison Jr’s fault.

That’s great news for guys like Trey McBride and Greg Dortch who are operating underneath, but Kyler needs to find a way to get quality targets downfield to guys like Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson. The worst thing you can be in the NFL is one-dimensional as teams can put the pressure on.

NFL defenses aren’t built overnight so we can’t expect Jonathan Gannon to turn things around in just one season. It is kind of odd that Gannon ran a 4-3 with the Eagles and has not really attempted to convert the Cardinals 3-4 into a 4-3. Many teams are “multiple” these days with a lot of moving parts anyway, but the Cardinals don’t really have a lot of great parts to move around. They’re expected to once again be one of the worst defenses in the NFL. 

 

 

 

Rams vs. Cardinals Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

As promised, the latest Rams vs. Cardinals odds can be found below courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook:

 

 

 

Rams vs. Cardinals: Rams Money Line (+100 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

To be quite honest, we have some questions about whether the Buffalo Bills are as good as public sentiment believes. They lost some key defensive pieces to cap issues as well as losing Matt Milano to a torn bicep right before the season. The Cardinals really could not stop the run so they probably would not have been in that game with any defensive pushback.

On the other side, the Lions are all of a sudden one of the more well-rounded teams in the NFL. They have a great defense and offensive line, yet the Rams still kept Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta in check and took them to overtime.

The public is likely putting too much stock on the Week One outcomes (as well as the Puka Nacua injury) while forgetting that the Cardinals have one of the very worst defenses in the league. They really don’t have the means to stop Cooper Kupp or Kyren Williams. We don’t need to punt here - the Rams are still an overall better team than the Cardinals. 

We still like a lot of Cardinals players for fantasy football - but this isn’t fantasy football. It’s real football. With that said, the favorite of all my Rams vs. Cardinals predictions has to be on Los Angeles money line (+100 at BetMGM Sportsbook).

 

 

 

Rams vs. Cardinals Injury Report & Latest News

Finally, let’s take a quick look at the projected starting lineups for both teams heading into tonight’s matchup:

LAR Rams:

ARI Cardinals:

 

 

 

How To Bet On Rams vs. Cardinals At BetMGM Sportsbook & Claim Your $1,500 Bonus With Promo Code ALARM

Now that you’re armed with our Rams vs. Cardinals predictions, let’s take you through the aforementioned $1,500 BetMGM sign up bonus. You’ll just need the BetMGM promo code ALARM when creating a new account, but our links and banners should have it filled in for you.

So, just be sure to then deposit $10 or more. Then, place your first wager for at least $10 and up to $1,500 on anything, whether it’s Rams vs. Cardinals picks or something else. You can then be worry-free, as you’re guaranteed to receive something.

You’ll either see your winnings hit your account, or if it loses, a full refund will be issued in bonus bets. It’s the best way to take advantage of our Rams vs. Cardinals predictions, and you can click here to activate our exclusive BetMGM promo code ALARM now!