Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers Betting Preview
The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers are after Sofi supremacy Sunday afternoon, the two stadium tenants meeting in what’s a Charger home game. The Rams lead the all-time nomadic series, 7-5, as both franchises have moved (and returned). In the penultimate week of the season. It’s the Bolts listed as seven-point favorites (total at 41), according to NFL odds.
The Butcher, The Baker…
The Los Angeles Rams have probably been the biggest disappointment in the NFL. Coming off of a Super Bowl victory, they were “expertly” slated to be just as good this season, However, it’s a 5-10 record, with both quarterback Matthew Stafford (spinal cord) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald (ankle) done, LA will go down as one of the worst Super Bowl slump teams.
The last few weeks have seen the Rams playing with a previously-unseen energy. Retread quarterback Baker Mayfield has been instrumental in LA winning two of its last three. This past week, the morbid Rams defeated the DOA Denver Broncos, 51-14. An awful offense in a 51-point explosion cost Bronco coach Nathaniel Hackett his job, but that’s another issue.
Mayfield has completed 58-of-84 passes, 571 yards (four touchdowns, one interception) in his three Ram starts, 230 passing yards in each of the teams two victories (Raiders, Broncos), Tyler Higbee had nine receptions (94 yards two touchdowns) as LA dismantled Denver. Running back Cam Akers had 23 carries (118 yards, three touchdowns).
Now, another test against the AFC West.
Bolting to Playoffs
The last meeting of these teams was back in 2018, the last season (prior to this one) the 9-6 Bolts made the playoffs. LA did secure its spot this past Monday night, defeating the insipid Indianapolis Colts, 20-3. It’s the first time in Brandon Staley’s tenure as coach the Chargers have advanced to the postseason. LA, currently the sixth seed in the AFC, has a shot at climbing the ladder in the seedings. It finishes the season at Denver, so…
With a three-game winning streak entering this game, LA is getting hot when it matters, appearing to be a dangerous out in the playoffs. Even without star defensive end Joey Bosa (groin) since Week 3, the Chargers defense has been phenomenal of late. Bosa has returned to practice this week, but his potential availability is not known.
Quarterback Justin Herbert has not thrown a touchdown pass (three interceptions) in his last two starts, but the offense has been sufficiently efficient to win. He’s at 4,254 passing yards (21 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) this season.
Austin Ekeler has four rushing touchdowns in the last three games. He will reach 100 receptions on the season with his next catch.
Chargers In Inglewood
This is listed at +700 to be Week 17’s lowest-scoring game, as per NFL specials. If you want to be a contrarian, it’s at +1400 to be the highest total of all the games,
Although the Rams looked much better against the Broncos, the Chargers are a far better team than their playmates in Inglewood, and will play as such. The Chargers are on too much of a roll, and a win enhances (probably) their seeding in the playoffs (potentially opposing the AFC South champion instead of AFC North winner). Expect the Bolts to both win and cover.
With the Chargers containing some of the best offensive weapons in the NFL, and the Rams coming off their best performance of the season, this is seemingly an over, The past three Charger games, total didn’t exceed this (41) number, and outside of the Bronco outlier, Rams’ last three games did not get to 41, either. Go under in this one.
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
