The Los Angeles Rams will be short-handed for Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals, as starting cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Tyler Higbee were placed on the COVID list just hours before game time.
That shook up the betting markets, sending Arizona from a -2 home favorite to -3 at DraftKings; the first-half spread, meanwhile, climbed off -1 to -2.
Ramsey and Higbee join running back Darrell Henderson, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein and cornerback Dont'e Deayon, who were placed on the COVID list earlier in the week.
Despite LA's array of weapons at wide receiver, Higbee is a tough man to substitute. He leads all tight ends in snap share (91.6%) and red-zone targets (16) this season.
Higbee, a Western Kentucky alum, has played in at least 15 games in each of the past four seasons. His volume was expected with Gerald Everett off to Seattle.
Ramsey, meanwhile, can't be replaced. The Rams without their top corner and against Arizona's stocked supporting cast is a nightmare scenario.
The over/under at DraftKings also saw a slight bump up from 50.5 to 51 following the news.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray went off in the first matchup between these two teams this season. He accounted for 307 total yards and two scores in a 17-point drubbing.
Rams gunslinger Matthew Stafford threw the ball 41 times in that loss. The first-year L.A. quarterback is notably 0-17 in his career against teams at least five games over .500.
The Rams closed as 3.5-point home favorites with a total of 54 in the previous meeting.
