The St. Louis Rams are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now and they'll host the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown this week on Thursday Night Football. After a 1-4 start this year, St. Louis has gone 5-3 over the past two months while picking up wins over the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and back-to-back shutouts against the Oakland Raiders and Washington.
Cardinals vs. Rams 2014 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Rams and Cardinals renew their NFC West rivalry in primetime.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Not only has the St. Louis defense been stingy as of late, but the offense has exploded. The Rams are coming off a 24-0 victory against Washington after getting a blowout 52-0 win over Oakland the previous week. Their recent streak has propelled them to 6-7, which isn’t probably going to be enough for them to make the playoffs if they win out, but it’s not impossible for the Rams to reach the postseason either.
The Cardinals will attempt to end those slim hopes this week while also retaining their hold on the NFC's No. 1 seed. Despite recent struggles on offense, Arizona is tied for the NFL's best record at 10-3 and would have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs if they began today. The Cardinals are fresh off a 17-14 home victory against the Kansas City Chiefs in which they outscored the Chiefs 11-0 in the second half to rally for the win.
Unfortunately, the Cards lost starting running back Andre Ellington to a season-ending hernia. They have already had to overcome the loss of quarterback Carson Palmer to a torn ACL, and it's possible these injuries will finally start to catch up with Arizona.
Speaking of star running backs, Rams rookie Tre Mason has become a weapon in both the running and passing game over the past month. In his last four games, Mason has rushed for a combined 358 yards and two touchdowns while chipping in five catches for 74 yards and a score. The Cardinals, however, boast the league's sixth-best run defense, allowing just 92.1 yards per game on the ground.
How to Watch
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
When: 8:25 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Announcers: Phil Simms, Jim Nantz
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
The Rams are 4.5-point favorites with an over/under of 40.5 points, according to OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Rams, check out Turf Show Times.
To keep up with the Cardinals, head over to Revenge of the Birds.
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