By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams
Monday – January 17 – 7:15 p.m.
TV: ESPN/ABC/ESPN+
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA
Records Before the Game
Arizona Cardinals (11-6, 8-1 Away)
Los Angeles Rams (12-5, 5-3 Home)
The is the last game of the NFC Wild Card weekend. The Cardinals are on the road in LA to take on the Rams. The Cardinals are 8-1 on the road while the Rams are 5-3 at home where they’ve struggled at times this year. I can’t wait to get in front of my TV in my office and watch this game. I guarantee you that this game will be action packed from start to finish.
The X-factors for This Game
The x-factor for the Cardinals will be how well their defense plays in the 3rd and 4th quarters of this game. The x-factor for the Rams will be their offense. With all of the weapons the Rams have on the offense, they stall out in crucial points of every game. Key players to watch: Cardinals QB Kylar Murray and WR Christian Kirk. Rams QB Matthew Stafford and DT Aaron Donald.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have struggled in their last five games of the season. They went 1-4 and recorded a win over the Dallas Cowboys on the road. The Cardinals are a better road team (8-1) than home team this season. Look for the Cardinals defense to start the game off by applying pressure to quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Cardinals defense will get tested with deep passes to Odell Beckham, Jr. They will have their hands full covering Cooper Kupp on the outside as well. The Cardinals will need to play hard and smart from the first snap to the last one in this game.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback Matthew Stafford will be the key for his team. If he has time in the pocket, opposing defenses will get torched. He has a very strong arm and threats on the outside (Kupp and OBJ) which give defenses fits when running their routes. Look for the Rams offense to run a lot of misdirection plays to free up their receiving corps. The defense will need to contain Murray on every down. They can’t allow him to run plays, they will need to force him to make plays. The Rams have a chance to go deep into the playoffs with this win at home.
Prediction
ESPN has the Rams winning at home for this one. They have a 58% chance of winning and moving on to the divisional playoffs. The Cardinals are 8-1 on the road this year. I’m taking the Cardinals by 10! Upset alert!
Final Score
Cardinals – 30
Rams – 20
