Rams at Arizona Cardinals: Who has the edge?

RAMS (0-1) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-1)

When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday

Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

TV/Radio: Fox (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 380, 225

Line: Cardinals by 1.5

Key injury designations

Rams: OUT: TE Davis Allen (back); QUESTIONABLE: RG Kevin Dotson (foot), CB Decobie Durant (toe), DB Quentin Lake (hip).

Cardinals: QUESTIONABLE: CB Max Melton (concussion), WR Xavier Weaver (oblique).

What’s at stake? No one wants to fall into a 0-2 hole to start the season; only 11.5% of teams who start a campaign 0-2 have made the playoffs since 1990. Both teams stare down that possibility. And for the Rams, with a home game against San Francisco and a road game at Chicago looming to close out September, they need to pick up a win where they can get one against a Cardinals team that’s still finding its identity after incorporating a wave of rookies to the roster this offseason.

Who’s better? The Rams won last year’s matchups with the Cardinals by an aggregate score of 63-23. Even taking into account injuries, the retirement of Aaron Donald and the Cardinals’ promising draft class, the Rams have the deeper roster and the better coaching staff.

Matchup to watch: Rams RB Kyren Williams vs. the Cardinals defense. Yup, as a whole. In two games against the Cardinals last season, Williams rushed 36 times for 301 yards and a touchdown while catching six passes for 61 yards and two more scores. Do the Cardinals have an answer for the running back this year? That will go a long way toward determining the outcome of this game.

Rams win if: Williams rushes for more than 100 yards. … WR Cooper Kupp catches eight passes and keeps the Arizona defense honest. … The Rams hold Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray below 40 yards rushing.

Fantasy sleeper: WR Tyler Johnson exploded onto the scene last week with five catches for 79 yards. Expect him to continue to produce with Puka Nacua (knee) out for at least the next four games.

Prediction: Rams 27, Cardinals 17. Beat writer record: 1-0, 1-0 against the spread.

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