Sharp bettors on side, total in Rams-Cardinals ‘MNF’ matchup

The Cardinals crushed the Rams 37-20 on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles.

In the rematch on “Monday Night Football,” sharp bettors are banking on the Rams to avenge that loss and the game to go under the total.

Arizona climbed to a 3-point home favorite over LA across the board at Las Vegas sportsbooks on Monday afternoon after the line sat at 2½ most of the week.

The line move came after news broke that Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Tyler Higbee were ruled out for the game on the COVID-19 list.

Circa Sports and Caesars Sportsbook took sharp action on the Rams on the money line (+115) early in the week and the South Point took sharp bets on the Rams +3 when the line opened.

But the betting public is backing the Cardinals by a 2-1 margin in tickets and money wagered at BetMGM.

The consensus total is 51 after it opened as high as 52. Caesars took sharp bets on under 52 early in the week and Circa took a sharp bet Monday morning on under 51½.

With 10 of 12 NFL favorites covering on Sunday, the books have a ton of parlay liability on the Cardinals and the Rams, leaving them in a virtual no-win situation.

“We’re going to be a loser tonight regardless,” MGM Resorts director of trading Jeff Stoneback said. “The parlays are going to kill us. It’ll soften the blow if the Rams cover.”

At Station Casinos, 62 percent of the tickets are on Arizona (10-2, 9-3 ATS).

“The best-case scenario all the way around is the Rams covering and winning and keeping the game under,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said.

The biggest need at Caesars is the over, according to vice president of trading Craig Mucklow.

“With everything running on tonight, we need a LOT of points,” he said in a text. “Either side hurts but it’s worse with the under.”

Asked what his book needs, South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said, “What we need is a rainout.”

Rams coach Sean McVay was 8-0 against the Cardinals prior to the Oct. 3 loss. LA (8-4) is on a 1-5 spread slide overall and 0-3 ATS on the road. It had lost and failed to cover three straight games before last week’s 37-7 rout of the Jaguars.

The Rams are on a 5-2-1 under surge while Arizona is on a 3-1 over run.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.