Cardinals vs. Rams | NFL Week 18 Breakdown & Best Bets: Most Valuable Player?
Written by: Varun Sharma
Published: Sat Jan 03, 2026, 5:58 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
nfl
The Cardinals head to Los Angeles this week, looking to end their season on a positive note. The Rams can't win the division but they can still improve their seeding with a win and a Niners loss. Lots to talk about in this game, so let's jump right into it.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: SoFi Stadium; Los Angeles, California
- Date: Sunday, January 4th, 2026
- Kickoff: 4:25 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- Arizona Cardinals: Jacoby Brissett (2024; N/A)
- Los Angeles Rams: Matt Stafford (10-6; 2024 – 235.1 YPG | 20 TD | 8 INT)
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Most Valuable Gunslinger
The Rams might be human. Los Angeles had a chance to keep themselves alive in the divisional race and compete for top spot in the NFC with a win last week; instead we saw Stafford throw 3 interceptions and possibly blow his case for the MVP Award.
The Rams have now lost back to back games, both decided by a field goal or less. They've given up top spot in the NFC West and will now head on the road for the first round of the playoffs. This is the same team so many had as their favorite to win it all and to at least come out of the NFC.
Los Angeles this year has the #1 ranked offense, the #8 ranked defense and have caused havoc for opposing teams all year. The problem is that's all come unraveled over their last two games. The Rams gave up 38 points to the Seahawks two weeks ago and followed that up with a 3 turnover game against the Falcons.
This Rams team could be sitting their starters this week but because the 5th seed is still up for grabs, we'll see Sean McVay trot out the entire starting lineup. The Rams still have something to play for this week and after back to back losses I'm sure they're out to prove something.
Red Birds
The Cardinals have been fun to watch this year but only with Jacoby Brissett under center. The offense is significantly better than guys like Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. have been direct beneficiaries.
McBride just set the record for most receptions in a single season by a TE an most of his production came with Brissett under center. He averaged 7.8 receptions per game in 13 games with Brissett and 78.3 receiving yards per game. The offense averaged just under 23 points per game and it didn't result in wins but the team's just been more fun.
Defensively it's been a hard time for the Cardinals. The defense ranks 29th in points allowed, 27th in opponent redzone efficiency, 31st in opponent first downs and 24th in opponent pass yards. This might be the perfect matchup for Stafford to boost those stats before the year ends and make his MVP case look just a little bit better. .
Sunday's Best Bets
Trey McBride o6.5 Receptions (-130) | Lucky Rebel
After everything I just said about Trey McBride, how can we not bet on this guy. McBride's seeing over 10 targets per game with Brissett under center and after making history last week with the most receptions from a TE ever; he's got a chance at the single season franchise record for receiving yards by a TE.
McBride had just 5 receptions in the first matchup this year but did record 12 in their late season matchup last year. The Rams rank 23rd in receptions allowed this year and their pass rush has been top five in the league. The increase in pressure is something that should lead to more targets for McBride and I'm predicting it leads to a direct increase in his reception numbers. .
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