The Arizona Cardinals had a scare last Sunday at home and Week 5 they will look for a divisional road win against the St. Louis Rams. We run through some of the angles live in our Thursday Night Football NFL betting preview
Two divisional foes each coming off a win hookup Thursday in St. Louis where the Rams take a shot at moving above .500 for the first time since 2004
Arizona needed overtime to get past the Miami Dolphins in Week 4 and close games have become the norm for Ken Whisenhunt’s crew. Since Week 8 of the 2011 season, 12 of the Cardinals’ 14 games have been decided by seven points or less.
In those 12 tight contests the Cards have an impressive 10-2 straight-up record and covered the spread at a 9-3 ATS clip. Online sportsbooks suggest this divisional game could be another close call and current NFL odds favor the road squad by a single with a total of 40 Under (-112).
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ARIZONA AT ST. LOUIS
Pinnacle NFL Odds: Cards -1 and Over/Under: 40 (-112)
Slow starts have plagued the Cardinals during this run and despite their winning record; the birds have been outscored in each of the first three quarters before clamping down. Opponents have a 3.2-point edge on the Cards through 45 minutes but the Cardinals have consistently found a way to get things done in the clutch.
St. Louis was last in fourth quarter scoring last season (3.8 PPG) so they will look for a strong start but after getting shut out 13-0 by the Dolphins in the first-half last week; Arizona could also mix up the gameplan.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Cards swept this series last season and have a 9-1 SU record the past five years going 7-1 ATS. Seven of the past eight have stayed under and since 2001, when divisional teams travel in the first-half of the season after rushing for less than 100 yards they have posted 6 overs and 16 unders when favored by -3 points or less.
NFL PICKS
Each of these teams is coming off a big win and while the Cards look to stay perfect, the Rams are trying to move above .500 for the first time under Jeff Fisher. WR Danny Amendola has emerged but St. Louis needs to run its offense through Steven Jackson and the Cards D gets a big boost if Darnell Dockett (Check status) can start. Since Week 1 the Rams have held three-straight passers to less than 200 yards and as the Cardinals look to get their ground game untracked, we’ll suggest a play on this game to stay under the number. Several sports betting sites are still sitting on 39.5 but Pinnacle offers some of the best NFL betting odds on the planet and 40’s are available right now for just -112 in juice. If you can’t get that number at a reduced price, it might be your best bet waiting until gameday.
Pick: Take the Under
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