The Los Angeles Rams saw their visions of a 4-0 start and an early lead in the NFC West vanish on Sunday, as they lost emphatically at home to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. They had two drives that ended inside the Cardinal 30, turning the ball over twice, and their defense could not stop Kyler Murray. They don’t have long to feel sorry for themselves, though, as they head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks on Thursday night. The Seahawks pulled off another surprise, beating San Francisco down at Levi’s Stadium to get back to .500.
What will happen in this midweek showdown? Check out our NFL betting preview.
NFL Preview: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
(Thursday, October 7)
When: Thursday, October 7, 2021, 8:20 pm ET
Where: Lumen Field, Seattle
TV: FOX / NFL Network
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Los Angeles -2.5 / O/U 54.5 // Los Angeles -140 / Seattle +115
Why should you bet on the Rams?
Matthew Stafford had gotten off to a red-hot start with the Rams, although he fell back to earth a bit against Arizona. His passer rating (89.5) was a season low, and he went 26 of 41 for 280 yards, two scores and a pick. Those numbers weren’t awful, but they were not good enough to keep up with Arizona. The good news, at least from a mental perspective, is that the Rams don’t have time to sit and stew in the 37-20 loss, as they have to make adjustments in a hurry.
The Rams will have Jalen Ramsey, a two-time All-Pro, on defense against Russell Wilson. He only threw for 149 yards against San Francisco, but he threw two scoring passes and ran for another touchdown, putting up a 116.0 passer rating. Ramsey has made his mark in the league defending — and intercepting — passes, so Wilson will have to make sure that he is not forcing throws into tight windows. The Rams beat Seattle the last time they played at Lumen Field in a 30-20 wild card win on January 9.
Why should you put your money on the Seahawks?
With Pete Carroll coaching the Seahawks, the team has gone 10-1 in Thursday night games and has won nine straight. It will help that Rams tailback Darrell Henderson Jr aggravated a rib injury against the Cardinals. He did run the ball 14 times for 89 yards, but he was limited in practice on Tuesday, along with tight ends Tyler Higbee (ankle) and Johnny Mundt (shoulder) and safety Taylor Rapp (ankle). Seattle was missing tailback Chris Carson (neck) and wideout Dee Eskridge (concussion) on Tuesday. Linebacker Carlos Dunlap II (toe), defensive end Darrell Taylor (ankle) and wideout D.K. Metcalf (foot) were limited for the Seahawks.
Seattle’s offense was extremely efficient, scoring on all four trips into the red zone, and they were much improved in the second half. In its two losses, Seattle had been outscored 33-6 after the intermission, but the Seahawks turned a halftime tie into a seven-point win. The Rams’ defense permitted 465 yards against Arizona and allowed the Cardinals to convert eight of 13 third downs.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
This line opened at Rams -1 and has shifted significantly since then. It’s hard to tell which Seahawks team will show up, which makes betting on the point spread a bit of a challenge for me. Both defenses have had their issues, which makes me more interested in the “over” than the outcome. I’m going to predict that the Rams will get back on track and win, 34-27, but I feel more confident that the teams will go over the total.
NFL Betting Odds
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