Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Arizona Cardinals are 7-2 against the spread over their last nine games; the St. Louis Rams are 5-1 against the spread over their last six contests. Two of the better bets in football as of late meet when the 6-7 Rams host the 10-3 Cardinals Thursday night at the Edward Jones Dome.

Point spread: Rams opened as three-point favorites; the total was 40 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 23.7-22.4 Rams

Why the Cardinals can cover the spread

The Cardinals lost quarterback Carson Palmer for the season to injury, then lost two games in a row, and the talk was they would fade into obscurity. Instead, Arizona rallied from a 14-6 halftime deficit last week against Kansas City, pitching a shutout in the second half on its way to a 17-14 victory.

The Cardinals got 100 yards on 19 carries from Kerwynn Williams, and while quarterback Drew Stanton only hit on 15 of 30 passes, those 15 completions went for 239 yards, and one provided the game-winning score, a hookup with Jaron Brown late in the third quarter.

Also, after missing two games with a sore knee, Larry Fitzgerald came back to catch four balls, and his return can only help.

Why the Rams can cover the spread

The Rams are actually one of the hotter teams in the league at the moment, with three wins in their last four games, a 4-0 ATS run and back-to-back defensive shutouts. Two weeks ago, St. Louis blasted Oakland 52-0, and last week, the Rams blanked Washington 24-0.

St. Louis outrushed the Redskins 131-27, won time of possession by a 33-27 margin, got a pair of touchdown passes from Shaun Hill (without an interception) and iced the game with a 78-yard punt return for a score by Tavon Austin.

The Rams won't make the playoffs this season, but they're looking like a team that will have to be reckoned with next season.

Smart Pick

St. Louis is hot, while Arizona, despite a marvelous season so far, is hanging on by its fingernails. The Cardinals still have trouble running the ball, and they're 0-2 both straight up and ATS in their last two road games. So the smart choice in this spot is the Rams, minus the points.

Betting Trends

• Arizona is 7-2 SU in its last nine games when playing on the road against St. Louis
• St. Louis is 2-7 SU in its last nine games when playing at home against Arizona

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow us on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.