The Los Angeles Rams had a much tougher time against the Detroit Lions than the best sportsbooks expected last Sunday, but they got the job done in the end. Good news, they face a much more straightforward opponent in Week 8 when they descend on the woeful Houston Texans at the NRG Stadium.
How much easier? One need only look to the NFL odds to get a sense of the task at hand. Books opened with the Rams installed as the 14.5-point road favorites. Early betting is already seeing a huge influx of Rams betting, so grab the 14.5 points while you still can. The only direction this NFL line is heading in is up.
Sunday, October 31, 2021 – 01:00 PM EDT at NRG Stadium
Lookahead NFL lines had the Rams projected as the 14.5 point favorites on the road to the Texans, and that NFL line hasn’t changed despite the Rams failing to cover as the 16.5-point home chalk in a 28-19 win over the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Separately, the total for this matchup opened on 48 points, going up 2 points from the lookahead total of 46.5 points ahead of Week 7.
Although Sean McVay’s side has lost just one game this season, it proved to be the worst possible game to lose. The Rams lost to the Arizona Cardinals 37-20 at SoFi Stadium in Week 4, and since then, they’ve trailed their division rivals in the NFC West. As things currently stand, the Cardinals are undefeated and riding roughshod over the division with a 7-0-0 record.
The good news for the Rams is that they have a relatively straightforward game in Week 8, while the Cardinals have a much tougher contest against the Green Bay Packers.
In fact, the Packers vs. Cardinals showdown is slated for Thursday Night Football, and the Rams will know before the weekend where they stand. Should the Cardinals slip up finally, McVay’s side would be in a position to close the gap on their division rivals.
Matthew Stafford had one hell of a fight on his hands as he squared up to his old team, as did his counterpart Jared Goff who was in the same position.
The Lions threw the kitchen sink at this game, but despite their best efforts, trickery, and bold play-calling, the better quarterback won the day. Thus, giving McVay his long-awaited validation for pulling the trigger on one of the biggest quarterback swaps/trades this century.
Stafford was nearly flawless as he went 28 of 41 for 334 yards and three touchdowns. He converted 9 of 12 third-down attempts, outwitting the Lions defense at almost every single turn he took the field as he finished with a 117.3 passer rating.
Going into the 2021 season, the Houston Texans were projected for the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Well, they’re halfway there. Houston is 1-6 on the season, and fast going nowhere after taking their sixth-straight loss on Sunday.
The Texans lost 31-5 to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm last weekend, but it would seem that they’d thrown in the towel a week before with a 31-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Tyrod Taylor has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. Reports coming out of Houston point to Taylor’s return to practice this week. Indeed, head coach David Culley suggested as much following his side’s horrendous loss to the Cardinals.
If he’s healthy, the veteran quarterback could potentially return to the line-up this weekend. Something that is being trotted out as welcome news for the Texans – as if it will improve their chances against the Rams.
Granted, the Texans played much better when he was the starter, winning their lone game of the season. But to put that win into context, it came against the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s hardly a ringing endorsement ahead of this far superior matchup.
In any event, it’s a case of too little too late. Now with the season teetering on the brink of a cliff, the Texans, chasing the first overall draft pick might hold greater appeal than turning around the season does.
As things currently stand, the point spread for this game is quite substantial. However, the Rams are the kind of team that can be trusted to beat up on inferior opponents. To look at the last few weeks: the Rams beat the Bears by 20 points, the Buccaneers by 10 points, the Giants by 27 points, and both the Seahawks and Lions by 9 points.
Granted the Rams failed to cover the 16.5-point spread against the Lions last weekend, but the game had all the hallmarks of being a trap game considering the emotions and backstories involved.
From Houston’s side of the coin, they’re hardly trustworthy in the betting. Culley’s side has failed to cover as the double-digit underdogs in three of its last four games and it has lost six on the trot. As mentioned earlier, Taylor did lead the Texans to their only win of the season, but it came against the Jaguars.
Taylor might be the Texans’ best option, but that doesn’t mean he can go toe-to-toe with Matthew Stafford and the Rams. It’s one thing to take it to a rookie quarterback like Trevor Lawrence, another to do so against an established NFC heavyweight.
All told, the Rams should cover as the 14.5 point road favorites in this game. Of course, bettors could opt to wait and see how this NFL line moves over the course of the week before placing their NFL picks.
If Taylor is cleared to play, it could trigger buyback on the Texans, and that could see the NFL line drop down to a better number. That isn’t guaranteed though and comes with risk.
NFL Pick: Rams -14.5 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.