Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams: Odds, Analysis, NFL Betting Pick

The Arizona Cardinals own the edge in the recent rivalry with the Los Angeles Rams, winning five of the last seven meetings outright, going 5-2 against the spread.

Freshly energized Arizona hopes to extend that run when it takes on Los Angeles on Sunday across the pond at Twickenham Stadium in London.

NFL point spread: The Rams opened as 2.5-point favorites; the total was 47.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 30.8-15.2 Rams (NFL picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

Why the Cardinals can cover the spread

The Cardinals are coming off their best effort of the season, a 38-33 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

Arizona drove its opening possession of the game 75 yards to a touchdown by newcomer Adrian Peterson, led 24-0 at the half and 31-0 early in the third quarter, before allowing the Buccaneers to make the final score look closer than the game actually was.

On the day, the Cardinals outrushed Tampa 160-70 and held a 32-28 time of possession advantage, winning outright as two-point home dogs.

Peterson looked great in his debut for his new team, rushing 26 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Now he'll go against a Los Angeles defense that ranks 29th in the league against the run, allowing 140 yards per game.

Why the Rams can cover the spread

The Rams are 3-1 over their last four games, after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars last week 27-17.

Los Angeles took a quick 7-0 lead on Pharoh Cooper's 103-yard return of the opening kickoff, later fell down to the Jaguars 14-10 but scored 17 of the game's last 20 points for the win as a one-point road dog.

On the day, the Rams only came up with 249 yards of offense, but they also added a score on a blocked punt.

Two weeks ago, Los Angeles lost to Seattle 16-10 even though it outgained the Seahawks 375-241. And prior to that, the Rams won back-to-back at San Francisco and Dallas.

Also, through six games Los Angeles leads the league in scoring at a shade under 30 points per game.

Smart pick

As with most NFL games, the team that controls the ball and makes fewer mistakes will probably win and cover this spread.

And with Peterson trying to prove he's still got something in the tank, that team is most likely to be Arizona. Smart money here bets the Cardinals plus the points.

NFL betting trends

The Cardinals are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against the Rams.

The total has gone under in 12 of the Rams' last 16 games in the early afternoon.

The Rams are 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in their last five games vs divisional opponents.

All NFL odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.