NFL Thursday Night Football gives fans an NFC West battle between the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams.  

These two teams both play in the NFC West, and they know each other very well. The Cardinals defeated the Rams back in Week 10, 31-14.

Both teams are playing with a backup quarterback, have a strong defensive line and have been hot lately.

Let's see who has the advantage in tonight's game: 

Arizona Cardinals (10-3)

The Arizona Cardinals picked up a huge win last week over the Kansas City Chiefs to improve to 10-3. Say whatever you want about this team, but they're the No. 1 seed in the NFC right now. The Cardinals have been dominant this season at home, a perfect 7-0, but they're going to have to travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams.

Even though starting quarterback Carson Palmer is out for the season with a torn ACL, Drew Stanton has played well.

Star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has been battling a knee injury, but he is expected to play. Fitzgerald leads the Cardinals in receiving yards with 692, while Michael Floyd has 592 himself. Without Palmer, the Cardinals won't be connecting on as many deep throws as normal, but Stanton is fully capable of making accurate short range passes.

The biggest issue for the Cardinals this season has been establishing the run game. The Cardinals currently rank 30th overall in rushing yards, and Andre Ellington is out for the season with an injury. Over the last five games the Cardinals have eclipsed the 70-yard rushing mark just one time.

Defensively, the Cardinals have one of the best rush defenses in the league ranking sixth overall. Unfortunately, the Cardinals rank 27th in pass defense, and cornerback Patrick Peterson has been struggling this season.

St. Louis Rams (6-7)

Don't let the record fool you. This Rams team has a powerful defensive line, and they would love to defeat their division foes on the national stage. The Rams defense has been so good lately, that they haven't allowed a single point in the last two games. Back-to-back shutouts against the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins have a lot people noticing at this team.

Just like the Cardinals, the Rams are also playing with a backup quarterback. Sam Bradford tore his ACL again, and Austin Davis was benched by head coach Jeff Fisher. Shaun Hill has done an average job filling in as the third stringer this year for the Rams.

The Rams can definitely get stops defensively, but scoring has been an issue. The Rams rank 27th overall in offense, and they don't have a single receiver with more than 600 yards through the air. Running back Tre Mason leads the rushing attack with 628 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Every other team (especially the Seattle Seahawks) in the NFC will be cheering for the Rams to win, because Cardinals hold the No. 1 spot in the conference.

This is a weird Rams squad. This Rams team has notable wins over the Denver Broncos, Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. On the other hand, they also blew a 21-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys, got blown out by the Minnesota Vikings and lost by 27 points to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Schedule, Where to Watch

The Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams will play each other on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 8:25 p.m. EST on the NFL Network. The game will be played at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri. You can view a live game stream here.

Predictions

This should be a low-scoring game with little offense. Both teams are starting backup quarterbacks, and neither have a great running game. The Cardinals should be able to win a close road game and improve to 11-3.

Cardinals win 17-14

Who do you think will win? Feel free to vote in our poll below.

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