The Cardinals have officially shut down Kyler Murray for the rest of the season which means we can keep betting on incumbent QB Jacoby Brissett. Brissett has attempted at least 40 passes in four-straight games and is averaging an incredible 47.5 pass attempts per game during that span. Brissett has also been relatively efficient with that passing volume so there's little reason for head coach Jonathan Gannon to use his impotent rushing attack. Gannon might have to abandon the run even quicker than usual on Sunday since the Cards are 8.5-point dogs against the first-place Rams. Game script should lead to Brissett easily surpassing this number.
There’s some risk here with Trey Benson eligible to return now that his practice window is open, but he was a DNP on Wednesday. With Emari Demercado dealing with an ankle injury and Michael Carter operating as the pass-catching back, Knight could be the RB1 again this week. Knight has scored in three straight games and has been as short as +135 in the TD market. We saw last week that the Rams can be beaten on the ground, as Carolina moved the ball easily in Week 13. If Benson sits and Demercado is limited, this number could drop to around +140, which is closer to where the fair price should be. Even if Benson suits up, Knight still has paths to cash as the likely preferred red-zone option.
Last week, the Rams were 10.5-point road faves against a 6-6 Panthers team despite traveling to the Eastern Seaboard for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. They ended up losing that game due to a couple of rare picks from Matthew Stafford, but that doesn't justify a shift to -8 this week with easier travel conditions against the 3-9 Cardinals. This is a Rams team that ranks second in the league in DVOA while the Cardinals rank 21st. With five of the Rams last six wins coming by double digits, expect them to bounce back with a lopsided win here.