Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Best Bet: Will Matthew Stafford Shine Today?
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Best Bet: Will Matthew Stafford Shine Today?
The Los Angeles Rams look like a much better team this year after a 5-12 season in 2022 after winning the Super Bowl in 2021. Matthew Stafford is looking more like the guy who took this team to February and got a ring just two seasons ago. The Rams are 2-3, but two of those losses are to the last two undefeated teams in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. Even against the 49ers, Stafford still eclipsed 300 passing yards. With that note, that is the angle I am looking at against the Arizona Cardinals today.
Cardinals vs. Rams Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date:Â October 15, 2023
- Game Time:Â 4:25 pm ET
- Where to Watch:Â FOX
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Prediction
Matthew Stafford is fourth among all quarterbacks with five games played in passing yards with 1,451, and that is with two games against the last two undefeated teams. That speaks to how his 2023 is going so far, as Stafford has been having an excellent comeback season. Stafford is averaging 290 passing yards per game, which is just above his set line today of 277.5.
Part of why Stafford has been airing it out more is because they do not have an elite running back. The Rams have used Kyren Williams as their starting running back, and he has done fine in the role, but he does not seem like a guy who is changing defensive schemes yet. Thus, Stafford and this passing offense have taken over. The Rams rank 28th with a 36.7% rush play rate, and they are fifth in the NFL with a 63.3% passing rate. The Rams are averaging 40.2 passes per game, which is second in the NFL.
The biggest story of this passing attack has been Puka Nacua, who has been torching secondaries as a rookie out of BYU. He is second in the NFL with 572 receiving yards, averaging 114.4 yards per game. What makes this so scary is that Cooper Kupp returned from the IR last week. In his first game back, Kupp had 118 receiving yards on 12 targets. How is a defense supposed to defend both Kupp and Nacua? Maybe the best defenses in the NFL can manage it, but the Cardinal's defense certainly isn't elite. The Cardinals' defense ranks 30th in DVOA, and they have struggled against good offenses.
With Stafford getting Kupp back, I love him to go over 277.5 passing yards today. Kupp had 118 yards against the Eagles' secondary, which is miles ahead of the Cardinals' secondary. Stafford is averaging just under 300 passing yards per game, and now he faces a shaky Cardinal defense with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp at his disposal. For a team that ranks second in passes per game, it seems too easy for Stafford to get 300+ passing yards again, as he has done in three of five games this season.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams Best Bet
Pick: Matthew Stafford Over 277.5 Passing Yards -110 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.