Early preseason games can get awfully boring by the time the second half rolls around. But this one will have some extra meaning to it. Los Angeles will host its first NFL game with its own team since the Rams and Raiders both left town following the 1994 season. The Rams last played a game at the Coliseum during the 1979 season before moving to Orange County.
The preseason battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams will take place Saturday, August 13, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The game will be shown live on ESPN.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Dallas Cowboys +3.5 ( -110 )
Los Angeles Rams -3.5 ( -110 )
Over/Under 35.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Rams will be psyched to play in front of their new home crowd and there should be a good number of fans in the stands. Preseason games are always unpredictable, but the Cowboys will be without Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and likely Ezekiel Elliott on offense. Take the Rams minus the 3.5-points in this one.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Even though Tony Romo has healed from the collarbone injury sustained last year and has participated in full-pad practices at Cowboys camp, it’s very likely he sits out the preseason opener Saturday. Romo played just four games last season while dealing with breaks to the same collarbone. The team will be overly cautious with him during the exhibition season.
With Kellen Moore suffering a broken ankle last week and Nick Foles snubbing the Boys to join KC, Dallas has two remaining quarterbacks on its. Coach Jason Garrett hasn’t declared an order, but the offense will be handed to rookie Dak Prescott and second-year man Jameill Showers. Prescott, a record-setter at Mississippi State and fourth-round pick, has been taking snaps ahead of Showers in practice.
The Rams gave up a bunch to acquire Jared Goff with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. We’ll have to wait a little while longer to see the rookie make his first start. That’s because head coach Jeff Fisher announced that Case Keenum would start the preseason opener on Saturday.
That type of investment obviously wasn’t made so Goff could carry a clipboard the whole season. Goff will probably play a half against the Cowboys, according to Fisher. No decision has been made publicly regarding playing time for Sean Mannion and Dylan Thompson.
COACHING HISTORY
Garrett has said he uses the preseason to assess his roster and give fringe players an opportunity to prove what they can do. The result has been only one straight up victory in the past two preseasons. The Cowboys had lost eight straight preseason games until beating Houston in Week 4 last year. In those nine games, Dallas was just 2-7 ATS.
Under Fisher the Rams are currently riding a five-game preseason losing streak and are just 2-10 SU and 3-9 ATS over the past three years. This game, however, is a little more important than any other preseason game Fisher has coached.
QUICK PICK
Forgive the Cowboys if they don’t get all giddy over the return of the Rams to Los Angeles. Dallas has its own concerns to worry about. Finding some players to play defense is tops on the list. The team will be without the services of linebacker Rolando McClain, and linemen Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, all of whom have been suspended by the league.
On top of that the Cowboys will have two young quarterbacks who have never taken a snap in a regular season NFL game sharing time behind center. At this point, Garrett is more concerned about surviving than winning.
And that’s good news for the Rams, who are trying to win over a fan base void of football for the past 22 years. It’s strange to say, but the Rams have more offensive weapons than the Boys heading into this game and Goff will play against the second or third team defense. It’s a recipe for success in the Rams return to Los Angeles.
NFL Odds: Rams 20, Cowboys 9
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The preseason battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams will take place Saturday, August 13, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The game will be shown live on ESPN.
