Neither the Rams nor the Saints will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss on Thursday night, but this game is virtually a postseason game for both teams. Each sitting at 7-7, the Rams and Saints are jockeying for position in the wild-card race – though the Saints also have a chance to still win the NFC South.
It’s one of the biggest regular-season games in Sean McVay’s coaching career, with a win putting the Rams even more comfortably in the driver’s seat for a wild-card berth, and a loss dropping Los Angeles’ playoff odds under 10%.
The Rams benefit greatly from being at home in this short week, with the Saints having to travel across the country after just beating the Giants on Sunday afternoon, but New Orleans won’t be an easy out.
Can the Rams win their second straight game and take down the Saints tonight?
Betting lines
Moneyline (ML): Saints +165 :: Rams -200
Against the spread (ATS): Saints +4 (-110) :: Rams -4 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 46 (O: -110 U: -110)
Rams vs. Saints injury report
Final score prediction and best bet
When it comes to quality of wins, the Rams certainly have the edge over the Saints. They’ve beaten the Browns, the Seahawks twice and the Colts. They also nearly beat the Bengals, 49ers, Eagles and Ravens. The Saints’ only win against a team at or above .500 was against the Colts.
Obviously, none of that will mean anything when these teams square off at SoFi Stadium tonight, but the Rams have looked like the better team so far this season. Not to mention, the Saints are banged up. Ryan Ramczyk is out, as is Lonnie Johnson. Chris Olave, Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson are all going to play but they were limited by injuries during the week.
The Rams, meanwhile, are welcoming back Tutu Atwell and Rob Havenstein, with Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp getting healthier by the week. As long as the Rams can avoid costly turnovers and prevent big plays – something that’s been a struggle recently – they should be able to beat the Saints.
Best bet: Matthew Stafford over 0.5 rushing yards (+100)
Prediction: Rams 24, Saints 17
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
