The Los Angeles Rams are rolling right now, both in the standings and against the spread. That streak should continue Sunday against the New York Jets. The Rams are 17-point favorites against the Jets, with the line jumping from its opening of 13.5.
I’m not afraid of the 17 points, and will gladly give them away with this week’s One Bet, $100 to watch the Rams to handle the winless Jets. My last bet on the NFL was Buffalo hosting New England. I gave away four points and watched the Bills fail to cover, winning 24-21.
One Bet, $100
| This Week | Last Bet | Season Total |
| LA Rams -17 vs. NY Jets | Lost: Buffalo | 3-2, Up $165 |
I feel much better about Rams hosting the Jets for several reasons, though I must admit, the 17 points does make me a little nervous. It’s the second-largest point spread this season; the largest came when New York received 19.5 when they traveled to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs.
Don’t Fear Big Numbers
The Jets lost that game 35-9, and Kansas City covered by 6.5 points. In fact, New York has been a double-digit dog two other times, and couldn’t cover on either occasion.
Last week, the Jets were getting 16.5 points in their road game against the Seattle Seahawks and lost 40-3. Do you see a trend here? The Jets record against the spread is a dismal 4-9 while the Rams are 8-5 ATS.
The one factor that gave me pause is the only other time Los Angeles was favored by 10 or more this season was in Week 4 when they were a 13.5-pick against the New York Giants. They won, 17-9, failing to cover by 5.5 points.
Rams Offense Peaking Â
That was early in the season, however, and it seemed like the Rams’ offense was still finding its way. In their last five games, four of which they covered, the team has scored 20 or more points.
The team did receive a positive COVID-19 test from one of its players this week, but LA head coach Sean McVay says they’re following all of the protocols, and aren’t worried.
“We’ve talked about having agility as a team and with our players, and these guys have seamlessly handled all the adjustments that we’ve had to make.â€
Defense Should Swarm Jets
While the offense has made improvements, McVay hasn’t worried about the defense. That side of the ball is No. 1 in total defense, while the Jets are one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL. They’ve scored 10 or fewer points in seven of their games.
Rams defensive end Aaron Donald comes into the game with a league-high 12.5 sacks, and is just three away from the franchise record. Donald, though, told reporters he isn’t concerned about individual achievements.
I’m just going to keep playing ball,†Donald said. “I’ll let the game come to me and we’ll see what happens.â€
What will likely happen is that the Jets’ porous offensive line will allow Donald to be in quarterback Sam Darnold’s face all day. Donald could break the team’s sack record on Sunday.
What isn’t in doubt is how this game will play out. The Rams will be able to score at will against the Jets, and the defense could very well hand the NFL’s worst team a shutout.
