Has it really been less than two years since the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl? Wow! The roster has been decimated and decimated fast by salary cap casualties and injuries. The names remaining from what was a star-studded lineup are Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald. The All-Pro Donald remains just that but Kupp is out with hamstring issues and Stafford always seems to be on the precipice of the Injured List. To put it mildly, the result is the aforementioned depleted roster.
Somehow the Rams remain only a 5½ point road dog to Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks.
The boys of Bet the EDGE took a deeper look at this line and matchup on today’s episode.
Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) is one of those scratching his head at this line.
“The Rams are not an NFL quality roster. They are not running out a team that I think is going to be competitive particularly on the defensive side of the ball and I think the Seahawks are pretty darn good. So, this is a huge, huge disparity in class.”
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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) played Devil’s Advocate at one point but ultimately views the Rams as limited.
“I just don’t see what the upside is for the Rams in terms of personnel because it’s not like they need to just have two or three players really pop out of nowhere. They need ten because there is nothing really on this roster outside of Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford.”
So why is the line sitting at 5½ and not more than a touchdown? Dinsick tried to understand that number.
“Anytime you’re flirting with a touchdown spread in Week 1 of a regular season…we have a huge disparity in class...that’s what I see with these two teams because the Rams realistically are going to have Matthew Stafford throwing to several targets who have a very, very difficult time creating separation. The Seahawks have a young and talented group of secondary players and I think that actually kind of pivots the Rams into a little bit more of a run-heavy approach…I see a playoff caliber team with Seattle at home against a team that is well out of their league in terms of competing for a playoff spot this season. I’m really struggling to figure out why this price is where it is and why there’s support here for the Rams. My fair price here is on the other side of seven.”
Enjoy the full episode of today’s Bet the EDGE as the boys break down additional Week 1 games and offer their best bets.
Let the NFL sweat begin and don’t forget about the Cowboys and Giants Sunday Night on NBC.
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