Last week, the Los Angeles Rams covered an easy spread against the Arizona Cardinals. Those who have followed the Rams all season know that this is nothing new this year.
Los Angeles boasts a 4-1-1 record against the spread this season. That is good for third in the NFL.
How did the Los Angeles Rams get here? Why are they so successful? Can Los Angeles keep this up next week?
Read on to find out the answers to each of these questions.
The Journey
The Rams won their first two games against the spread this season. Their opening game was easy because they upset their division rival, Seattle Seahawks, on the road.
However, Los Angeles caused controversy in the betting world with their Week 2 cover against the San Francisco 49ers.
To set the scene, the Rams trailed the 49ers by 10 points with four seconds left. The 49ers were 7.5-point favorites in this game.
Instead of letting the clock run out or trying a Hail Mary, the Rams decided to kick a 38-yard field goal to run the clock out. Because of this, Los Angeles bettors got a backdoor cover and 49ers bettors had a really bad beat.
The Los Angeles Rams then pushed in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. After that, it took overtime to secure the cover in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Week 5 was when the Rams suffered their first loss against the spread. The Philadelphia Eagles were 4-point favorites over them and won by nine points. However, the Rams quickly bounced back from this last week.
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Passing the Ball
One thing the Rams have been able to do this season is pass the football properly. A big reason for that is that quarterback Matthew Stafford is fully healthy this season. Last year, he dealt with several health issues, including elbow problems, concussion symptoms, and even a spinal cord contusion.
On top of this, Stafford now has a fully healthy Cooper Kupp. He returned in Week 5 after dealing with a hamstring injury. This kept him out for the first four games of the season.
So far, Kupp has not skipped a beat. He has 266 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in two games.
They also have rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua, who made an immediate impact. Nacua had 501 receiving yards through his first four games, plus a touchdown reception.
When you combine all three of these factors, it explains why the Rams are sixth in the NFL in passing yards per game (258.8).
Can the Los Angeles Rams Keep Covering Spreads?
For bettors, the main thing to consider is how likely the Rams are to keep this up.
One concern some people may have is how Stafford will keep Nacua involved now that Kupp is back. Since Kupp’s return, Nacua has just 97 receiving yards in two games.
There are also legitimate questions as to if the Rams can keep covering as a favorite. They are not as proven in that scenario.
Los Angeles secured their first three covers as an underdog. Last week’s cover against Arizona was the first time they did so as favorites this season.
Rams backers are hoping that they can do it again this week. They host the Pittsburgh Steelers as 3-point favorites.
Pittsburgh will be the worst scoring offense the Rams have faced all season. Los Angeles also averages nearly 100 more total yards per game. If those trends continue here, there is a good chance you will see another Rams cover.
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