Two surprise contenders in the NFC will face off in a titanic Week 12 matchup when the New Orleans Saints travel to face off against the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams weren’t given a great shot at making the playoffs in 2017 but each sit atop their division more than midway through the season.
Los Angeles is coming off a road loss to the Vikings but have been solid in all phases throughout the year. The Saints have star quarterback Drew Brees still doing his thing while it’s defense has stepped up after years of struggles.
Both of these teams are aiming for not only a division title but a first-round playoff bye, and this matchup could go a long way in determining how that shakes out.
This matchup in Week 12 of the regular season will take place on Sunday, November 26, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New Orleans Saints +2.5
Los Angeles Rams -2.5
Over/Under 53.5
Odds Analysis
The Rams are slight favorites because of the home field advantage, but the Saints are getting the majority of the action on the spread. The scoring total is high because both teams have elite offenses, and the “over” is still the more popular play.
Injury Report
Robert Woods — The Rams will be without one of their key players as the talented wideout injured his shoulder last time out and is expected to miss a couple of weeks. Even so, Los Angeles still has Sammy Watkins, Cooper Kupp and Tavon Austin to pick up the slack.
Alex Okafor — The New Orleans pass-rusher suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter of the team’s win over Washington last time out. It’s a big loss as he was one of the team’s most consistent players at getting after opposing quarterbacks.
Marshon Lattimore — The rookie cornerback has been a revelation this season, starring from the get-go. However, he suffered an ankle injury last time out and is questionable for this game. It would be a big loss if he cannot play in this one.
Matchup To Watch
Rams offense vs. Saints defense -- Los Angeles had a putrid offense last season, as rookie Jared Goff looked lost and running back Todd Gurley failed to live up to his hype coming out of college. It has been a drastic turnaround under new coach Sean McVay as the Rams are among the league leaders in points scored and both players have turned it on.
The same can be said for the Saints on defense. They allowed points by the boatload in 2016, which resulted in a losing record despite having the magnificent Brees on the other side of the ball. New Orleans made some solid pickups in free agency and drafted Lattimore in the first round to help shore up the secondary.
Both units have proven themselves this season, and the one that ends up with the upper hand in this showdown will give its team a solid shot at victory.
Free ATS Pick
The Rams are 7-3 on the season and the Saints are 8-2, and each side has a positive point-differential over 100, so it hasn’t been a fluke for either side. This is a heavyweight battle which could help figure out which one is more of a Super Bowl contender.
Los Angeles has been good all year, but in a game that is looking like a toss-up, it makes more sense to take the points. New Orleans has the more established signal-caller and a defense that has seemingly turned the corner.
Take the Saints to go on the road and grab a critical victory, which will keep them ahead of the Panthers and the Falcons in the NFC South and bring them a step closer to a top-two seed in the postseason.
NFL Odds: Saints 28, Rams 27
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