Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LIII Odds & Preview

It has been 18 years since the Los Angeles Rams appeared in a Super Bowl, back during the “Greatest Show on Turf” era in St. Louis. The city of Los Angeles has not been represented in a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XIV, when quarterback Vince Ferragamo led the Rams against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a losing effort. Now the Rams have advanced to Super Bowl LIII, where they will face the New England Patriots in Atlanta on Sunday, February 3. The first point spread on this game saw the Rams favored by one, but then an avalanche of money on the Patriots pushed the line as far as New England -3. In this article we look at why the Rams are a team to consider in your NFL betting on Super Bowl LIII.

Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LIII Odds & Preview

• Super Bowl LIII Odds: New England -150 / Los Angeles +130

How about Aaron Donald?

He’s the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he racked up 20 ½ sacks in the regular season. In the divisional round and NFC Championship, the Rams totaled three sacks, nine quarterback hits and 12 ½ tackles for loss. It was the pass rush of Dante Fowler Jr. in overtime that got to Drew Brees, causing the interception that gave the Rams the ball close enough to move into field goal range and win the game. The Rams should do a much better job of pressuring Brady, so that he can’t sit back in the pocket and throw for 348 yards. Brady did have two interceptions, but one clanked off a receiver’s hands, and in the key drives in the fourth quarter and overtime, Brady had plenty of room to see down the field. Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers and the rest of the Ram pass rush need to do much better than the Chiefs did for the Rams to have a chance.

The Rams can run the ball

In their two playoff wins, the Rams have run for 350 yards and four scores — although they did a lot more damage against Dallas than they did against New Orleans. Todd Gurley II mysteriously vanished for much of the NFC Championship, as C.J. Anderson got most of the work. The Patriots have stopped the run well in the postseason, with the Chargers and Chiefs running for a total of 60 yards. However, it was the work the Patriots did to build early leads that made their opponents rely on the passing game. If the Rams can figure out how to replicate that power game they used to run the Cowboys out of the stadium, the Patriots could be in trouble.

The Rams’ offensive line has been solid

New England has picked up six sacks and 17 quarterback hits in two playoff games. They sacked Patrick Mahomes II four times in the AFC Championship — but they still had to go to overtime to win. The Rams’ offensive line has kept Goff up in the pocket, with just one sack in two games and just six hits against the Saints. As a result, Goff has made fewer mistakes, throwing just two picks in his last five games. If the Rams’ offensive line can keep opening holes and giving Goff a pocket, the Rams should be able to sustain some lengthy drives.

The Rams have a strong running defense as well

Many observers (including this one) thought running defense would be an issue for the Rams in the playoffs, as they gave up five yards per attempt during the regular season. However, things have changed in the postseason as the Cowboys and Saints averaged just 2.3 yards per attempt, combining for 98 yards. No running play against the Rams in the playoffs has gone for more than 16 yards. The Rams will have their hands full, with Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and James White all solid options out of the Patriots’ backfield. However, a solid scheme on the part of Wade Phillips should test the Patriots’ offensive balance.