Sunday’s NFC West matchup between the Cardinals and Rams is the NFL’s third game in London this season but it’s the first at Twickenham Stadium and also the first to start at 1 p.m. ET instead of 9:30 a.m. on the East Coast. By the way things have been going lately and the way the NFL lines have changed, the Rams are small NFL betting favorites for this one.
The Rams scored twice on special teams. Pharoh Cooper returned the opening kickoff 103 yards – the longest touchdown return on a game’s opening kickoff in franchise history – and Cory Littleton blocked a punt which was returned eight yards for a touchdown by Malcolm Brown.
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald recorded a sack, hit the quarterback three times and forced a fumble. He also helped slow Leonard Fournette after the rookie running back scored on the first play with a 75-yard run. Following that win Florida, the Rams stayed in the area to practice ahead of flying to London on Thursday. It would have been silly to fly back to the West Coast and then over the London.
Arizona at LA Rams Week 8 Odds, Preview & NFL Betting Pick
When: Sunday, 1 PM ET Where: Twickenham Stadium, London TV: Fox Radio: Sports 620 KTAR (Arizona) / ESPNLA 710AM (LA) Opening NFL Betting Lines: Rams -3.5 (47)🚨 THREE DAYS TO GO 🚨@AZCardinals vs @RamsNFL#NFLUK #AZvsLAR pic.twitter.com/wSo95PqDPn
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) October 19, 2017
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Cloudy: 13°C/55°F
- Humidity: 63%
- Precipitation: 5%
- Wind: 18 mph W
- Cloud Cover: 75%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Last Season
The teams split, each winning on the road. It was 17-13 Rams in Arizona when Case Keenum was L.A.’s quarterback. In Week 17, the Cards rolled 44-6 in Los Angeles. Carson Palmer threw touchdown passes. Jared Goff struggled for the Rams.Top ATS Betting Matchups & NFL Week 7 Picks
Latest NFL Betting Trends
- Arizona is 1-5 ATS in the last 6 games
- Arizona is 5-2 SU in the last 7 games when playing LA Rams
- The total went OVER in 9 of Arizona’s last 13 games
- LA Rams are 4-13-1 ATS in the last 18 games
- LA Rams are 4-2 SU in the last 6 games
- The total went OVER in 6 of LA Rams’s last 8 games
Why Bet On Arizona?
The Cardinals (3-3) defeated Tampa Bay 38-33 last week to even the team’s record at 3-3. In his first game with the team following a trade from Arizona, running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut, becoming the oldest player (32 years old) in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in his first game with a new team. Peterson is the ninth player in NFL history to have 50 games with at least 100 rushing yards. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Peterson is the second Cardinal to win the Offensive POW this season –WR J.J. Nelson won the award for his play in Indianapolis in Week 2. Future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, who had 10 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown last week, leads the NFC with 42 receptions. Fitzgerald has 14,854 career receiving yards and surpassed Steve Smith Sr. (14,731) for the seventh-most receiving yards in NFL history. Fitzgerald trails only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (19,247 with San Francisco) for the most receiving yards with a single team. Carson Palmer was great vs. the Bucs, completing completed 18 of 22 passes (81.8 percent) for 283 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for a 139.4 rating. He now has 294 touchdown passes in his career, passing Hall of Famer Warren Mood (291) for the 12th-most touchdown passes in NFL history. There’s one big injury to monitor for Arizona and it’s to Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson. As of Wednesday, he hadn’t practiced and the team is unsure how his quad strain will respond after making the flight to London. Peterson says he’ll play, but all players say that. Peterson has never missed a game in his seven-year NFL career.Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 19.83
- Total Yards: 356.16
- Pass Yards: 286.33
- Rush Yards: 69.83
- Average Score Against: 26.33
- Total Yards: 340.66
- Pass Yards: 250.33
- Rush Yards: 90.33
Why Bet On LA Rams?
The Rams shockingly lead the NFC West and even more shockingly lead the NFL in scoring at 29.8 points per game after finishing last in 2016. Running back Todd Gurley is tied for first in the league with seven touchdowns while kicker Greg Zuerlein tops the NFL with 69 points. They come off a 27-17 win at Jacksonville. Jared Goff completed 11-of-21 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. Goff’s touchdown came on a shovel pass to Gerald Everett. Other than that, he struggled. He had Sammy Watkins for what would have been a 58-yard touchdown, but made an inaccurate throw despite having plenty of time. Goff is now 33-of-68 (48.5 percent) for 412 yards (6.05 YPA) over his past two starts. Gurley rushed 23 times for 116 yards, his third 100-yard game in four weeks.
The Rams scored twice on special teams. Pharoh Cooper returned the opening kickoff 103 yards – the longest touchdown return on a game’s opening kickoff in franchise history – and Cory Littleton blocked a punt which was returned eight yards for a touchdown by Malcolm Brown.
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald recorded a sack, hit the quarterback three times and forced a fumble. He also helped slow Leonard Fournette after the rookie running back scored on the first play with a 75-yard run. Following that win Florida, the Rams stayed in the area to practice ahead of flying to London on Thursday. It would have been silly to fly back to the West Coast and then over the London.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 29.83
- Total Yards:
- Pass Yards: 244.67
- Rush Yards: 115.17
- Average Score Against: 23
- Total Yards: 350.17
- Pass Yards: 210.67
- Rush Yards: 139.50
Series History
- Total Meetings: 77
- First Meeting: October 3rd, 1937. League Park. Cleveland, Ohio
- Last Meeting: January 1st, 2017. Los Angeles memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles, California
- All-Time Series: Arizona Cardinals 38-37-2
- Largest Margin of Victory: Arizona 44-6 (2017)
- Longest Win Streak: Arizona 8 (2006-2010)
- Current Win Streak: Arizona 1 (2017)
