Week 16: NFC West Picks

St. Louis Rams @ Arizona Cardinals

NFL Line: Cardinals -13.5

The St. Louis Rams will play in Arizona this week, which figures to be quite the mismatch.

Last week, the Rams played the Houston Texans very tight but this should be a route. The Cardinals had a worse than expected performance in Detroit but this should be much easier. The Cardinals have an excellent passing game and the Rams have a horrible secondary.

On top of that, the Rams are with their third string quarterback, Keith Null, and a makeshift receiving corps that doesn’t have a true No. 1 receiver. The Rams running game is also sluggish as running back Steven Jackson, who has been a bright spot for the Rams this year, is beaten up.

The Cardinals don’t have a whole lot to play for in this game but as long as they aren’t half asleep like they were last week, they are going to win this game very easily.

On defense, the Rams are going to have a tough time pressuring quarterback Kurt Warner and when they can’t get to him, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are going to abuse the Rams cornerbacks.

The Cardinals need to get back on track after a lousy effort in Detroit last week. This is the perfect team to get right against.

NFL Betting Pick: Cardinals -13.5

Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers

Bookmaker Odds (Bookmaker Sportsbook Review): 49ers -12.5

The Detroit Lions are having some quarterback troubles. This week, they’ll be starting their third-string quarterback, Drew Stanton as starting quarterback Matt Stafford is hurt and backup Daunte Culpepper isn’t doing much.

That could make the task of winning particularly tough as the Lions head out on the road to San Francisco. The Lions are an indoor, East Coast team that will be playing outdoors this weekend on the West Coast. That will add to the challenge for a team that has only won once this year.

Last week, the Lions put up a fight against the Arizona Cardinals in what appeared to be a blowout to start. The Lions came back from 17-0 to tie the game before losing.

This week, the 49ers are going to be all over the Lions. The 49ers defense plays particularly well at home and against a Lions squad with their third stringer, this should be an easy task.

NFL Picks: 49ers -12.5