The defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (3-9, 3-8-1 ATS) are in disarray. They’ll be taking the field to face the visiting Las Vegas Raiders (5-7, 6-6 ATS) minus their starting quarterback, their reigning NFL receiving triple crown winner and their three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The Rams are also losers of six games in a row. Meanwhile, the Raiders are on their best roll of the season, both overall and from a betting standpoint. Since ending their second three-game losing streak of the 2022 NFL season, the Raiders have won two of three games. They are a perfect 3-0 against the spread over the past three games.
They won their past two games outright as home underdogs. Last week, Las Vegas downed their AFC West rivals the Los Angeles Chargers 27-20 as 2.5-point home underdogs. They’ll be looking to complete an LA sweep by winning on the road against the Rams.
Raiders vs Rams Betting Trends
For years, the Raiders and the Rams both resided in the LA area. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in Los Angeles since 1994. The Raiders are 5-2 straight up over the Rams in seven games between the two teams played in LA.
Both of these teams have undergone a number of franchise relocations through their years as NFL clubs. This will be the initial meeting between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams. As the Oakland Raiders, they went 2-2 SU when facing the Los Angeles Rams. They were 2-3 SU against the St Louis Rams. The Los Angeles Raiders were 4-1 SU when facing the LA Rams.
The Rams are 1-4-1 ATS over their current six-game losing skid.
Injuries Causing Havoc For LA
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who led the Rams to last season’s Super Bowl win, is out with a concussion. Even though he cleared concussion protocol earlier this week, Stafford won’t be activated from injured reserve. The Rams already announced that #2 QB John Wolford is getting the start in this game. Third-stringer Bryce Perkins started the last two games while Wolford was recovering from a neck injury. LA also claimed QB Baker Mayfield off waivers this week from the Carolina Panthers.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who led the NFL in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown catches last season, is on IR after undergoing surgery for a right high ankle sprain. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald, a three-time winner of the NFL DPOY award, is out with an ankle ailment.
The Raiders aren’t without injury concerns. They’re facing a worrisome scenario at running back. Josh Jacobs (quadriceps), Ameer Abdullah (hamstring) and Brandon Bolden (calf) are all questionable.
Jacobs leads the NFL with 1,635 yards from scrimmage. He joined Hall of Famers Walter Payton (1977), O.J. Simpson (1973) and Jim Brown (1958, 1963, 1965) as the only RB with 1300+ rushing yards, 5+ yards per carry and 10+ TDs through the first 12 games of an NFL season.
Rams A Super Disaster
Interestingly, the two worst betting teams against the spread in the NFL this season are also the last two teams to win the Super Bowl. At 3-7-2, the Rams are the 31st-best NFL team against the spread in 2022, covering at a 30% rate. The only team that’s a worse ATS bet this season are the 2020-21 Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-8-1).
However, this is just one example of how far and how quickly the Rams have fallen from the company of the NFL elite. At 3-9, that’s the worst 12-game record ever posted by a reigning Super Bowl winner. They’re guaranteed to be just the eighth team to post a losing record the season after winning the NFL’s big game. The 1999 Denver Broncos (6-10) hold the mark for the most losses by a team in the season following their Super Bowl triumph.
Raiders vs Rams Pick
The Raiders are an NFL-worst 0-3 ATS as a road favorite this season. As well, they are 1-2 SU and ATS in three previous games at SoFi Stadium, all against the Chargers.
The Rams covered at home last week as 6.5-point underdogs in a 27-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They are 5-1 SU in their last six games facing teams from the AFC West. Las Vegas is 3-7 SU in the last 10 games against clubs from the NFC West.
The Rams are 5-0 ATS in the past five and 7-1-1 in the last nine games when the opponent is the Raiders.
Pick: Los Angeles Rams +6.
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