Rams vs. Carolina Panthers: Betting odds, lines and picks against the spread
In last week’s forecast, I wrote about how one Los Angeles team looked poised for an upswing and the other did not. As it turned out, the Chargers did win on the road against the Browns to improve to 3-2 and the Rams had another disappointing, and downright pathetic, offensive effort against the Cowboys to fall to 2-3.
Fortunately for the Rams, a team more broken and battered than they are comes to SoFi Stadium on Sunday in the Carolina Panthers, while the Chargers wait a day for an intriguing Monday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos.
Panthers at Rams (-10, 42)
Curious to know how the betting market feels about the difference between Baker Mayfield and P.J. Walker? Based on the spread movement so far, there is no discernible difference between the two. In fact, Walker may even be preferred to Mayfield as the +10.5 and +11 lines that were available early in the week are almost all +10 at this point.
There is a certain measure of respect for the Rams and what they’ve accomplished the last few seasons baked into this line, but they’re this big of a favorite because the Panthers are in shambles. Coach Matt Rhule was fired Monday and this is one of the few offenses with numbers as bad or worse than the Rams.
Without getting too deep into the weeds, is the difference between Kevin O’Connell and Liam Coen that big? Coen learned under O’Connell in 2020 when he was the assistant quarterbacks coach and O’Connell was in his first year as Rams offensive coordinator. Coen became the offensive coordinator at Kentucky where he had a ton of success, and then came back to the Rams for his first season as their OC.
He’s not the one trying to block for Matthew Stafford and the running backs, but he is the one tasked with drawing up plays to get receivers open. The Rams have turned the ball over 12 times and allowed 21 sacks. They’ve generated few explosive plays and Cooper Kupp is only over 10 yards per reception because of last week’s 75-yard catch and run. The running backs are averaging 3.2 yards per carry. Every level of this offense has failed in some way, scoring 10 or fewer points in three of the five games this season.
The already injury-depleted Rams offense added star receiver Cooper Kupp (ankle) to the injury report. Meanwhile, top back Cam Akers was absent.
Does the defense, which is largely getting a pass to this point, going to wake up? The Rams have the fourth-best red-zone defense, which has helped to obscure how bad they’ve been on third down (22nd in third-down conversion rate against) and with rushing the passer (31st in Pressure% and Hurry%).
And here the Rams are, being asked to win by 11 or more points to cover the spread. Is this the week the offense wakes up? The week that the defense creates some negative plays? It’s a big ask to take the Rams against the spread, but Carolina could completely bottom out this week as well.
Maybe the best thing to do is just take the under until further notice with this offense.
Pick: Under 42
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