The Arizona Cardinals open against the St. Louis Rams as very slim favorites.
The Arizona Cardinals host the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, and Ken Whisenhunt's squad opened as 1.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark.com. The betting lines shifted more in the Cardinals' favor, in some cases to as many as three points.
The total for the game is set at 37.5 points between the two teams, seemingly high considering Arizona averages just 16.3 points per game while St. Louis does little better at 17.4 points a game. According to OddsShark.com, the total has gone under in eight of the last nine meetings between the NFC West teams.
However, the total for St. Louis has gone over in four of its past five games.
Both the Cardinals and Rams have struggled mightily of late. The Rams are on a four-game losing streak and have gone 0-4-1 straight up and 2-3 in the past five games. Meanwhile, the Cardinals' six-game skid has seen them go 0-6 straight up and 1-4-1 against the spread during that span.