Mort's Report — Sports Data Analytics
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Week 6 · Sun, 4:05 PM EDT · Fox

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams

SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals
ARI
3-14 · #31
70%
LAR to win
LAR -6.0 · Confident
Los Angeles Rams
Rams
LAR
12-5 · #7

Rating inputs

Each starting rating is a weighted blend of five real football inputs, not just wins and losses. Every term below is measured from the 2025 season.

Arizona Cardinals

InputRatingWeightContribution
Elo from results
3-14 in 2025, opponent-adjusted
137180%1096.8
Scoring strength
355–488 points (-133.0 differential) → 32.0% expected win rate
13695%68.4
Late-season form
same replay with the closing 6 weeks counted double
130815%196.1
Offense / defense split
20.9 PPG scored, 28.7 allowed → offense 1447, defense 1358
13040%0.0
Blended 2025 rating1361.4
Offseason regression
25% back toward the 1500 league mean
1396.0
Roster / QB adjustment
No offseason adjustment applied.
0.0
ARI 2026 starting rating1396

Los Angeles Rams

InputRatingWeightContribution
Elo from results
12-5 in 2025, opponent-adjusted
156880%1254.8
Scoring strength
518–346 points (+172.0 differential) → 72.2% expected win rate
16665%83.3
Late-season form
same replay with the closing 6 weeks counted double
156815%235.2
Offense / defense split
30.5 PPG scored, 20.4 allowed → offense 1686, defense 1567
17530%0.0
Blended 2025 rating1573.3
Offseason regression
25% back toward the 1500 league mean
1555.0
Roster / QB adjustment
No offseason adjustment applied.
0.0
LAR 2026 starting rating1555

The calculation

Every term the model applies, in order, from both teams' starting ratings to the number on the card.

Los Angeles Rams base rating
1518.5
2026 starting Elo, after offseason regression
Arizona Cardinals base rating
− 1387.2
2026 starting Elo, after offseason regression
Rating edge (home perspective)
+131.4
LAR is the better-rated side on neutral ground
Home-field advantage
+25.0
Flat 25 points for every host
Rest differential
−5.0
5 Elo per day of extra rest, capped at 25
Analyst override
+0.0
No manual adjustment on this game
Injury adjustment
−0.8
LAR is the more banged-up side — see the injury breakdown below
Adjusted Elo difference
+150.6

Win probability

1 / (1 + 10−(150.6 / 400))

70.4% LAR

Model spread

150.6 ÷ 25, rounded to the nearest half point

LAR -6.0

Confidence band

Coin flip · under 55%Lean · 55–65%Confident · 65–75%Strong · 75% and up

Injury adjustment

Report pulled 2026-10-27 13:20 UTC

Ratings describe a team over a whole season. Who is actually available on Sunday is a separate question, so the injury adjustment is applied last, after home field and rest. Each listed player costs a share of a point of spread based on his position, whether he starts, and how likely he is to play.

Before injuries

70.5%

LAR by 6.0

Injury term

−0.8 Elo

−0.0 pts of spread, home perspective

After injuries

70.4%

LAR by 6.0 · moved 0.1 pts of probability

Arizona Cardinals

−0.9 pts

  • Jon Gaines II GOut−0.10
  • Max Melton CBOut−0.10
  • Tip Reiman TEOut−0.10
  • Carson Beck QBOut−0.10

Los Angeles Rams

−0.5 pts

  • Terrance Ferguson TEOut−0.10
  • Poona Ford DTOut−0.10
  • Myles Garrett DEOut−0.10
  • Kobie Turner DEOut−0.10

Statuses come straight from the league injury report: out and injured reserve count in full, doubtful three quarters, questionable roughly a third, probable a tenth. Starters are identified from the depth chart; anyone the model cannot place is treated as a backup.

Move the factors yourself

Every term feeds one number: the adjusted Elo difference. Drag any of them and watch the spread and confidence follow.

1519

Drag to see how much a stronger or weaker host changes the call.

1387

The two ratings only matter through their difference.

+25 pts

The tuned value is a flat 25 points for every host.

−5 pts

5 Elo per extra day of rest, capped at 25 either way.

+0 pts

A manual thumb on the scale, in the home team's direction.

Win probability

70.5% LAR

Model value

Model spread

LAR -6.0

Elo diff +151.4 · Confident

Probability curve

The logistic curve from −600 to +600 Elo, home perspective. The dot is your current setting; the faint vertical line is where the model itself sits. Notice the curve is flattest at the extremes — near a coin flip, every point of Elo moves the number most.

Where the ratings came from

Each rating is the end state of a full 2025 season of Elo updates, regressed toward the league mean for the new season.

Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
#31 of 32 · 3-14 in 2025
2025 final rating
1371.0
Regress 25% toward 1500
+25.0
2026 starting rating
1396.0

2025 Elo trail

Biggest swings

  • L 22–41 vs SF−43.9
  • W 27–17 at DAL+39.3
  • W 20–13 at NO+31.6
Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams
#7 of 32 · 12-5 in 2025
2025 final rating
1568.5
Regress 25% toward 1500
−13.5
2026 starting rating
1555.0

2025 Elo trail

Biggest swings

  • W 35–7 at JAX+43.8
  • W 42–26 at SF+35.5
  • W 33–19 at TEN+35.3

Matchup factors

Everything beyond the two base ratings that moved this specific number.

Home field

+25.0 pts

worth 3.1 points of win probability

LAR hosts at SoFi Stadium. Every host gets the same flat 25 points — the model does not rate crowds individually.

Rest

−5.0 pts

worth 0.6 points of win probability

5 Elo points per extra day of rest, capped at 25 either way.

Analyst override

+0.0 pts

No manual adjustment. The number here is pure model output.

2025 head to head

  • Week 14: LAR won 45–17 (LAR on the road)
  • Week 18: LAR won 37–20 (LAR at home)

Strength of schedule

Who each team actually played in 2025, measured by their opponents' current ratings. This is context for reading the ratings — it is not an input to the prediction above, because beating good teams already raises a team's Elo more.

Arizona Cardinals

1523

average opponent rating · 2nd toughest of 32

vs above-average teams
1-9
vs below-average teams
2-5
Los Angeles Rams

1510

average opponent rating · 6th toughest of 32

vs above-average teams
6-4
vs below-average teams
6-1

What the model does not know

  • · How an injury actually plays out — the adjustment above prices availability, not how well a replacement performs.
  • · Coaching and roster turnover between seasons.
  • · Weather, travel distance and short-week fatigue beyond raw rest days.
  • · Anything a betting market has priced in since the season ended.
Read the full methodology →