What Can We Expect From Kyler Murray in Week 14?

Last Sunday, Kyler Murray made his triumphant return to the football field, leading the Arizona Cardinals to victory in Chicago. While Colt McCoy was serviceable in replacing Murray, it’s hard to replace a quarterback of Murray’s caliber.

The electric Cardinals QB was responsible for four touchdowns on the afternoon, including two through the air and two with his legs, in a performance that saw Arizona beat the Chicago Bears. Murray and the Cards now host the star-studded Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, and the NFL odds have Arizona as an early three-point favorite.

Kyler Murray This Season

Despite missing three games due to injury, Kyler Murray is still a top-five NFL MVP candidate at +750. He’s thrown for 2,399 yards this year with 19 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. While he doesn’t run as much as he used to, he’s still a threat on the ground with 206 rushing yards and five TDs.

ESPN lists Murray as fourth in the league in QBR at 65.6, which is a total quarterback rating adjusted for the strength of opposing defenses faced. He’ll have a chance to make his case for the MVP award down the stretch, as three of Arizona’s final five games are against teams with winning records.

Murray Against the Rams

Murray owns a 1-4 career record against the Rams, but it’s important to note that the lone victory came back in Week 4 of this year.

Murray shined in a 37-20 victory in Los Angeles earlier in the year, throwing for 268 yards and two TDs while adding 39 yards on the ground. The Rams have bottled up the running game this season (100.4 YPG, 7th) but have been susceptible to the pass (238.3 YPG, 16th), which bodes well for a Monday night Arizona air attack.

Cardinals vs. Rams: Best Bets

I think Arizona will showcase its dominance on Monday night and show everyone why they’re the top-ranked team in the NFC. This is a well-rounded team, third in points for (28.6) and fourth in points against (18.7).

Arizona also allows the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (205.1), has the fourth-most sacks (32) and is ninth in interceptions with 12.

Los Angeles averages 28 points per game on the season, but over their past five, they’ve only averaged 25.8. I believe that against the Cardinals offense, they’ll score in the 20-23 range, which I don’t believe will be enough to win.

The last five Rams victories have been against teams with a combined 13-46-1 record (Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars).

I’m taking the Cardinals to cover the 2.5 points in this game.

Can the Cardinals Lock Up the NFC West?

With a win on Monday, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals can’t officially lock up the NFC West, but they can put a considerable amount of distance between themselves and the Rams.

The Cards would move three games ahead of the second-place Rams and own the tiebreaker with a win. There are just five weeks left in the NFL season, so get your bets in and check back daily for all of your Arizona sports betting action. Sign up for an account with BetMGM today, and you’ll receive a risk-free first bet of up to $1,000.