Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams NFL Lines & Picks

November 19, 2009

The 6-3 Arizona Cardinals appear poised to repeat as NFC West champs, and a date with the 1-8 St. Louis Rams this Sunday should only get them closer to reaching that feat. But St. Louis showed that it should not be taken lightly last week when it played the undefeated Saints to a 28-23 game. Meanwhile, Arizona overcame a slow start to win for the fifth time in six games with a 31-20 victory over Seattle. Kurt Warner last faced his former team last December, helping the Cardinals pull off a 34-10 win, Arizona’s fifth straight in the series. NFL lines makers expect Arizona to make in six straight over the Rams this Sunday, listing the Cardinals as a 9-point favorite with the total set at 46.5.

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Cardinals QB Kurt Warner has certainly gotten the best of his former team, and he has especially been good when facing the Rams in St. Louis. Warner has faced the Rams three times at the Edward Jones Dome since departing from the franchise and he has torched them for 273 yards per game and six touchdowns against only one interception. With the cast of playmakers Warner has at his disposal, it’s hard to think he won’t have another big day against the Rams’ 25th ranked pass defense.

When I watch the Cardinals play this year, they look like a more balanced football team than the one that advanced to the Super Bowl last season. The team is especially improved on the defensive line thanks to the outstanding play of Darnell Dockett. If you look up his stats and see that he has 32 stops and 2.5 sacks, you’re not going to be overly impressed. But if you watch him play, you will be. Dockett has been clogging the middle ferociously, and the Cardinals boast the NFL’s eighth-best run stuffing unit because of it. He’ll need to continue his strong play Sunday to keep the Rams’ Steven Jackson from running wild. Jackson ranks third in the NFL with 915 rushing yards and has easily been the Rams’ best weapon this season. If Arizona can shut down Jackson and the St. Louis running game, I have to think they’ll win this one rather convincingly. It is worth noting that the Cardinals are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games. If you like this trend to continue, bet the Cardinals at -9 at Sportsbook.com.

You can bet the Cards are going to try to take the St. Louis running attack away, but that has been easier said that done lately with the Rams getting 141 or more rushing yards in each of their last three games. But if Arizona is able to have some success in stopping the run, the Rams will have to get the job done through the air. That means that wide receiver Donnie Avery may have to have himself a game. Avery has shown flashes of brilliance but he hasn’t been able to put it together week in and week out. He played very well against the Saints last week, coming up with a pair of touchdown catches. Another big game against the Cards would go a long way toward keeping his team in this one.

I’ve harped on second year defensive end Chris Long all season and it appears he may finally be figuring things out. Long has come on strong to record a sack in two straight games since posting a big goose egg through the first seven. He and Leonard Little will need to bring the heat or else the Rams will be at the mercy of Kurt Warner. It is worth noting that the underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings in this matchup. If you like St. Louis catching points at home, bet the Rams at +9 at Sportsbook.com.

Take the books to school Sunday with winning football picks from World Champion Handicapper Jimmy Boyd!