St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, 11/6/11, 4:15 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: Arizona -3.5
Current Betting Line: Arizona -2.5
Opening Total: 43.5
Current Total: 41.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
St. Louis will look to make it two wins in a row Sunday, coming off a 31-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints as 13.5-point home underdogs. The Rams offensive outburst was surprising due to not scoring more than 16 points in any of their six previous contests. “Hopefully, you can build on that,” commented Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo. “That’s the hope.” Running back Steven Jackson put the squad on his back last week, gaining 191 yards from scrimmage, including 159 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. St. Louis is 1-6 ATS on the year and the ‘under’ is 22-16 over the last two-plus campaigns.
The Rams have a reason to be optimistic with their upcoming schedule, playing four opponents that have tallied an unimpressive 7-21 mark, which is far different than the combined record of 31-19 of their first seven opponents. Starting quarterback Sam Bradford is a game-time decision, moving out of a boot since suffering a high ankle sprain in Oct. 16. Injuries have ravaged the roster during the 2011 campaign, losing five starters for the season already.
Arizona has lost six straight games since capturing a 28-21 season-opening victory over the Carolina Panthers, including a 30-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens as 12-point road underdogs last weekend. The Cardinals have been close this season, with four of their six losses coming by four points or less. “We’re working hard to try to make sure we’re taking care of business, and we haven’t done that,” commented Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. Star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is still performing at a high level, coming in with 34 catches for 603 yards, averaging 17.7 yards per catch. Arizona is 0-3 ATS this year when the line is within three points, while the ‘under’ is 11-6 in that situation the last two-plus seasons.
The Cardinals will likely be without starting quarterback Kevin Kolb, suffering from a turf toe injury, with John Skelton expected to be under center. Arizona running back Beanie Wells will be expected to carry the load, coming in with 166 combined yards and two touchdowns in three career games when going up against the St. Louis Rams. He leads the Cardinals with 506 yards and seven touchdowns with an average of 4.5 yards per attempt.
Bettors will likely back the Rams due to their 6-1 ATS mark as a road underdog of three points or less, while the Cardinals are 0-6 ATS versus the division.
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