Week 5 of the NFL season kicks off tonight with a fantastic matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams are off to a great start with a 3-1 record while the Seahawks come into this game at 2-2.
This should be a tightly contested game as the Rams are favored by two and a half points at most online sportsbooks. Let’s break down each team on both sides of the ball to see who may have the advantage.
Rams Offense vs. Seahawks Defense
Though they were held in check by the Arizona Cardinals last week, this Rams offense has looked incredible so far this season. QB Matthew Stafford has already thrown for over 1200 yards and 11 touchdowns and has greatly improved his odds of winning NFL MVP. Stafford’s favorite target so far this year has been Cooper Kupp, who has racked up 431 receiving yards and five touchdowns so far.
The Legion of Boom days are definitely over in Seattle. This Seahawks defense did a great job of slowing down the 49ers’ offense last week, but they’ve been inconsistent as a whole. Seattle is currently allowing 5.9 yards per play, which ranks 24th in the league (TeamRankings.com). This unit’s secondary may be in for a long night against Stafford at the potent Rams’ passing attack.
Seahawks Offense vs. Rams Defense
QB Russell Wilson just doesn’t seem to age. The 32-year old has thrown for 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions. Wilson has the uncanny ability to extend plays even when it looks like the pass rush is going to bring him down. Wilson has hooked up quite a bit with wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who has 333 receiving yards and three touchdowns so far this year.
The Rams have been surprisingly mediocre on the defensive side of the ball through four games. Sure, Aaron Donald remains a force to be reckoned with on the d-line as he already has a couple of sacks. However, the Rams’ secondary is allowing nearly 300 yards passing per game. Wilson should be able to find some open receivers unless these Rams defensive backs start playing much tighter coverage.
Our Pick: Rams -2.5
We respect Russell Wilson and his amazing abilities but we’re taking the Rams in this one tonight. One of our favorite theories to adhere to when betting on NFL games is the Bounce Theory. The Bounce Theory means that we expect teams to bounce back off of an embarrassing performance.
The Rams were indeed embarrassed by Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday as they lost by 17 points. Look for head coach Sean McVay to have his troops highly motivated to play well in this primetime spot. The Rams defense will be eager to put last Sunday’s performance behind them as well after giving up 37 points.
The Seahawks are riding high off an emotional win over a division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. This is a great spot to fade the Seahawks as we expect them to come back down to earth a bit. Lay the small number with the Rams. Good luck.
