Cardinals (1-4) at Rams (2-3)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California TV: Fox
Spread (BetMGM):
Rams by 6
Cardinals’ keys to victory: The Cardinals had no answer for WR Ja’Marr Chase in Week 5, allowing him to catch 15 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Next up is WR Cooper Kupp, who caught eight passes for 118 yards in his return in Week 5. The Cardinals must limit big plays to Kupp and WR Puka Nacua because both players have done an excellent job creating explosives this season. On offense, the Cardinals can’t turn it over like they did in Week 5 when QB Joshua Dobbs threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
Rams’ keys to victory: Los Angeles was abysmal defensively on third down against the Eagles, allowing Philadelphia to convert on 13 of its 18 attempts. The Rams have to be better in this department, otherwise the defense likely will be on the field for almost 38 minutes again, which was the biggest reason Los Angeles lost to the Eagles. QB Matthew Stafford has to improve his accuracy as well; he missed too many open receivers against Philadelphia. It would help if the Rams got more out of their ground game after they gained just 54 yards against the Eagles.
Matchup to watch: Cardinals WR Marquise Brown vs. Rams CB Derion Kendrick. Brown is unquestionably the Cardinals’ top receiver, and he’ll get to face a cornerback in Kendrick who struggled mightily in Week 5. This matchup should favor Arizona.
Who wins? Coming off a disappointing loss to the Eagles, the Rams should bounce back with a better performance against a lesser opponent. They’re also playing at home.