In the final matchup on the Week 17 NFL Saturday slate, the Los Angeles Rams will host the Arizona Cardinals.
This is a huge matchup for playoff seedings. The Rams currently lead the NFC West with a 9-6 record while the Cardinals are two games behind them at 7-8. Seattle also holds a 9-7 record, a half game behind the Rams after their 6-3 victory over Bears on Thursday. Arizona has been eliminated from the playoff race but has a chance to play spoiler against its divisional rival with the Seahawks looking over the Rams’ shoulders.
The Rams enter this game as 6.5-point favorites in the matchup and -325 on the Moneyline. The Cardinals are +260 underdogs on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook and the game total is set at 47.5 points. With the stage set, here are my favorite prop bets for the Saturday Night matchup.
Marvin Harrison Jr Over 49.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
It has not been the rookie season that Marvin Harrison Jr hoped for. The fourth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft has not been the difference-maker in the Cardinals’ offense that was hoped and there have been far more growing pains than was expected to be the case. Overall this season he has tallied 51 receptions on 100 targets for 726 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Harrison Jr’s best-receiving output of the entire season occurred back in Week 2 against the Rams, when he tallied 130 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns with his four catches. While he may not reach quite these same heights this week, expect an improved performance from what has become his normal output. The Rams rank bottom-five against outside wide receivers this season and 30th in net yards allowed per pass attempt. They have been vulnerable to big plays this year and Harrison Jr is capable of exploiting this as he proved in Week 2.
Overall, the Ohio State product has only recorded over 49.5 receiving yards in five games this season. He has not eclipsed it since Week 12 when Harrison Jr caught five of his 12 targets for 60 yards and a touchdown. The rookie still has plenty to play for as he attempts to prove his worth to the offense and produce some success to build off ahead of next season. Expect it to be a significant focus by the team to get him back on the right path. Count on Harrison Jr to record over 49.5 receiving yards against the struggling secondary and it may be worth taking a chance on a few alternate receiving lines.
Puka Nacua Over 86.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
On the other side of the wide receiver matchup sits Puka Nacua. Last year’s fifth-round pick has cemented his place as the top Rams wide receiver this season by passing Cooper Kupp in the pecking order of the offense. While Kupp is still involved, Nacua leads the team in receptions and receiving yards.
The BYU product has recorded over 86.5 receiving yards in six of the 10 games he has played this season. He has gone over 100 yards in four of these matchups, including three of the five games played inside a dome. This will be the case this week so weather will not be a factor. Looking at the four games Nacua has played at SOFi Stadium this season, he has tallied over 100 yards receiving in three of the four games, with Nacua finishing with 98 receiving yards in the lone game he fell short.
In addition, the Cardinals have struggled to stop the pass this season. They rank 15th in points allowed, 20th in yards given up, 15th in passing yards conceded, and 29th in net yards per pass attempt. Nacua was injured during the first matchup with the Cardinals but has a chance to make his impact felt in this game. This game has some significant playoff implications for the Rams and count on them to rely on their top pass-catcher. Look for Puka Nacua to record over 86.5 receiving yards and don’t be afraid to take a stab at him reaching 100+ yards at +140 odds.
Kyler Murray Over 0.5 Interceptions (-120)
Through the opening 15 games he has played this season, Kyler Murray has thrown nine interceptions. This includes throwing an interception in four of the past five weeks. The Rams’ defense has forced 11 interceptions this season which ranks 15th in the NFL.
This will be the 10th matchup between Kyler Murray and the Rams since he has come into the NFL. He is 2-7 in these matchups and has thrown an interception in four of these games. All four of these also happened during December starts. While the Cardinals have been eliminated from the postseason race themselves, they have the opportunity to play spoiler against their divisional rival. Expect them to get a bit bold with their play call- especially when factoring in James Conner is questionable and there are injuries to the top two backup running backs.
Expect the Rams to bring everything they have defensively and force Kyler Murray to make plays. Arizona is still sorting through its future outlook and will be trying some new things as it attempts to derail the Rams’ playoff hopes. It takes just one mistake for an interception to occur and Murray has been punished by this all too often in recent weeks. Expect the former top pick to throw an interception for the fifth time in the past six weeks and capitalize on the -120 odds.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
