Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals: Who has the edge?

RAMS (3-0) vs. CARDINALS (3-0)

When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood

TV/Radio: Ch. 11, 710 AM, 93.1 FM, 1330 AM (Spanish)

Line: Rams by 4

Notable wounded designations: Rams: RB Darrell Henderson (ribs) is listed arsenic questionable, but manager Sean McVay said Friday helium volition play. WR/PR Tutu Atwell (ill) is questionable. Cardinals: RG Justin Pugh (back), RT Kelvin Beachum (ribs) and backup RT Justin Murray (back) are questionable.

What’s astatine stake? More than accustomed for a Rams-Cardinals game. Both teams enactment unbeaten starts connected the enactment successful their archetypal NFC West game. The winners volition person archetypal spot to themselves successful 1 of the NFL’s deepest divisions. If the Cardinals tin play the Rams pugnacious connected the road, it means Arizona is for real.

Who’s better? The Rams. Their 3 opponents truthful acold person a combined 30-18 grounds since the commencement of 2020; the Cardinals’ victims are 22-36. But Arizona is going the close mode with manager Kliff Kingsbury and QB Kyler Murray successful their 3rd play unneurotic and WR A.J. Green and DE J.J. Watt coming aboard.

Matchup to watch: Rams CB Jalen Ramsey vs. Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins. Their rivalry dates to erstwhile Ramsey was a Jaguar and Hopkins a Texan. Ramsey was cagey erstwhile asked if he’ll screen Hopkins exclusively. Hopkins has been held beneath his vocation drawback percent 7 times successful 9 meetings with Ramsey’s teams.

Rams triumph if …: If they support OLB Chandler Jones from hurrying QB Matthew Stafford, whose 3 sacks are the fewest among passers with his fig of attempts. … If they tin trim Murray, a single-threat QB, by containing his running, arsenic they ever have. … If they debar a lull betwixt past week’s triumph implicit the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and Thursday’s crippled against the rival Seahawks.

Fantasy pick: Rams WR Robert Woods. His 57 catches (for 640 yards and 2 TDs) successful 8 games against the Cardinals are his astir against immoderate opponent. If Arizona decides to absorption connected stopping WR Cooper Kupp, the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, Woods could beryllium the archetypal to benefit.

Prediction: Rams 31, Cardinals 24. This is the Rams’ 3rd 3-0 commencement successful 4 years. Right now, it feels little similar 2019, erstwhile they mislaid the adjacent 3 games, and much similar 2018, erstwhile they kept going to 8-0 and 11-1 and the NFC championship.