The Cardinals won a wild one last week against the Raiders to pull to 1-1 on the season. They return home in Week 3 to face the Los Angeles Rams and will be the underdog for a third straight contest.
The Rams routed the Cardinals in last year’s wild card round, and neither team is playing up to their 2021 standard as of yet.
I'm 23-9 against the spread after two weeks. Let's keep it rolling:https://t.co/Yy82okGhwj
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 22, 2022
Individual performances will be key in this one, and here are three prop bets that I like.
Greg Dortch over 36.5 receiving yards (-115)
The Rams will be missing three of their top four cornerbacks in this one due to injury. Their superstar, Jalen Ramsey, could very well be keeping a close eye on Hollywood Brown for much of the game.
That leaves Dortch a favorable matchup, and as the slot receiver for the Cardinals, he could be a go-to target for Kyler Murray if the Los Angeles pass-rush gets home quickly throughout the contest.
Dortch leads the Cardinals in receiving yards and has been a steady presence in both of their first two contests. He has played in about 80 percent of the snaps through the first two games and I don’t foresee that dipping too much.
Look for Dortch the Tortch to keep burning brightly on Sunday.
Cooper Kupp over 8.5 catches (+102)
The Cardinals’ slot cornerback position has been an adventure through two games. Isaiah Simmons played it in Week 1 against the Chiefs but was so bad he was relegated to a backup role in Week 2. Former undrafted free agent Jace Whittaker got the assignment against the Raiders in the second game and was better, but Derek Carr still attacked the middle of the field at will.
Byron Murphy is the Cardinals’ best nickel cornerback, and maybe he matches up with Kupp throughout the game. But if that happens, the outside cornerback spots will be very weak and susceptible to big plays.
I think the Cardinals will mix and match against Kupp, which will give Matthew Stafford the green light to target him often. And it’s not like that hasn’t happened in the first two games. Kupp is averaging 12 catches per game on 14.5 targets, and without Odell Beckham, Jr. around, he’s Option A and B in the passing game. At plus money, I like this bet.
Kyler Murray under 0.5 interceptions (-123)
Murray did throw an interception a week ago, but he also attempted 49 passes against the Raiders, so it’s not much of a surprise.
If this game stays closer, he won’t need to be airing it out that many times, and Murray has the combination of accuracy and decision-making that has me picking the under on this prop.
His interception rate of 1.2 this season is quite low, and the Cardinals really found something in the second half against Las Vegas as they relied on his legs a lot to get the offense rolling. While most quarterbacks will attempt throws after evading pressure, Murray has the option to run with the ball for chunks of yardage, which keeps down the dangerous attempts.
Ramsey is an interception machine that is always lurking, but the rest of the Rams’ secondary doesn’t have a great pedigree. I expect Murray to avoid a pick in this game.
This week’s prop bets record: 2-1
Overall: 11-8
