Los Angeles Rams NFL Predictions: 2019 Season Betting Odds and Preview
Good news for the Los Angeles Rams: The Super Bowl Loser’s Curse is over. Unfortunately, it came at the Rams’ expense last season. Entering 2018, no team had returned to the Super Bowl the year after losing in it since those Buffalo Bills teams lost four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. The New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl following the 2017 season but knocked off the Rams last February in Atlanta, 13-3 in the lowest-scoring SB ever. But, hey, at least the Pats proved you could get back there after losing it.
However, it seems that result has cast a lot of doubt on the Rams going forward. Then again, they shouldn’t even have been in that game, the beneficiaries of the most egregiously missed pass interference call in NFL playoff history in the NFC title game. That break allowed the Rams to tie the game late in regulation at favoured New Orleans and then Los Angeles won it in overtime. The Saints were pretty clearly the better team that day and probably would have given a much better Super Bowl representation (i.e. won it) than the Rams did.
Los Angeles Rams Acquisitions and Transactions
The Rams are pretty snug against the salary cap with huge contracts recently handed out to running back Todd Gurley and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, among a few others. Thus, Los Angeles was fairly quiet in free agency. The team bolstered the defense with safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Clay Matthews – two players who used to be Pro Bowlers but who are past their primes.
The Rams also added running back Darrell Henderson in the draft as Gurley insurance (see below). Gone are players such as offensive lineman Rodger Saffold, and defenders Ndamukong Suh, Lamarcus Joyner and Mark Barron. Long story short, the Rams got a tad bit worse on paper.
Los Angeles Rams 2019 NFL Schedule
Los Angeles has the second-easiest schedule (tied) in the NFL with its opponents combining for a .473 winning percentage last season. A bit odd for a team with a first-place schedule, but two of the other teams in the NFC West were terrible in 2018 and that accounts for four games. All times listed in ET.
Week 1 (Sept. 8): at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. (Fox)
Week 2 (Sept. 15): vs. New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)
Week 3 (Sept. 22): at Cleveland Browns, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 4 (Sept. 29): vs. Tampa Bay Bucs, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Week 5 (Oct. 3): at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. (Fox, NFL Network)
Week 6 (Oct. 13): vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Week 7 (Oct. 20): at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. (Fox)
Week 8 (Oct. 27): vs. Cincinnati Bengals in London, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10 (Nov. 10): at Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)
Week 11 (Nov. 17): vs. Chicago Bears, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 12 (Nov. 25): vs. Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 13 (Dec. 1): at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Week 14 (Dec. 8): vs. Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 15 (Dec. 15): at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)
Week 16 (Dec. 22): at San Francisco 49ers, TBD (CBS)
Week 17 (Dec. 29) vs. Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)
Los Angeles Rams NFL Betting and Odds
The Rams have a Sports Interaction win total of 10.5, with the under a -147 favourite. They are -286 to make the playoffs and +195 to miss. Los Angeles is -200 to win the NFC West for a third straight year, a +350 favourite to repeat as NFC champion and +750 to win the second Super Bowl in franchise history (first in Los Angeles).
The Rams were 9-9-1 against the spread last year including playoffs. One bright spot of the schedule is likely just one outdoor cold-weather game: Week 10 in Pittsburgh. Nice to close against the Cardinals, who were the worst team in the NFL last year. LA swept all three NFC West rivals in 2018. The Rams will spend more than a month without a home game with trips to Atlanta, London (as the “home” team vs. Cincinnati), the bye week and then visiting Pittsburgh. It’s possible the Rams could be favoured in every game until that Week 10 matchup in the Steel City.
Los Angeles Rams Season Prediction
Coach Sean McVay was the supposed wonderboy when it came to offence in the NFL, but he was schooled in the Super Bowl by Bill Belichick’s defence, and McVay admitted he was vastly outcoached. QB Jared Goff had a largely good 2018 season, but he also was perhaps exposed in that loss. Really, though, the Rams’ season rides on Gurley’s legs. He’s arguably the NFL’s best all-around back when healthy, but he wasn’t late last season or in the playoffs, and he has an arthritic knee. That’s part of the reason why the Rams drafted Henderson.
Also, L.A. was a bit lucky last year in going 6-1 in one-score games. The Rams were only the 13th team since 1989 with that good of a record in one-score games. The following year, the other previous 12 were a combined 39-45 in one-score games. Still, the NFC West is pretty weak overall, so we’ll say the Rams go 10-6 and win the division. No return trip to the Super Bowl.