The Detroit Lions did something no other team was able to do this season: they beat the Eagles and forced a turnover from them. It was a performance that saved their season, at least for this week. Instead of falling to 1-4 and becoming an afterthought, the Lions knocked off one of the three unbeatens and gained some traction in the NFC. With a Week 6 home contest against the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions are in a position to be at .500, something many thought unlikely after a loss to the Bears just two weeks ago.
Watch this regular season Week 6 matchup live on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at Ford Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Rams +3
Detroit Lions -3
Over/Under 43.5
Odds Analysis
Detroit’s bandwagon picked up some passengers after their win over the Eagles with over 70 percent of the early wagers coming in on the home team. Detroit opened as a 3-point favorite getting the standard field goal for home field advantage. Given the injury concerns to key defensive players on each side, the over/under has some value at a relatively low 43.5.
Injury Report
Trumaine Johnson – The Rams suffered a potentially devastating injury when Johnson left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Easily the team’s top cornerback following the departure of Janoris Jenkins, his loss leaves L.A. thin at the position heading into a matchup with Matthew Stafford and the Lions.
Haloti Ngata – The run-stuffing tackle left Detroit’s game on Sunday with a shoulder injury. A big presence in the middle of the line, Ngata has excelled at stopping the run throughout his career. If he’s unable to play, look for the Rams and Todd Gurley to try and take advantage by pounding the ball in the middle of the defense.
Matchup to Watch
The Rams were in a hole Sunday before the game even began. With three starting defensive linemen out with injuries, the Rams had little success stopping the Bills from running the football and the result was a 30-19 defeat. The D-line is the strongest position group on the team and with 75 percent of the group out, L.A. was in big trouble. With Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers and Will Hayes all sitting, Buffalo chewed up 193 yards on the ground and controlled the game from the outset. The defense has been the backbone of the Rams this season, but it wasn’t equipped to pull off another victory.
And the group could be in bigger trouble with the expected loss of Johnson, who left the Coliseum in a walking boot and crutches after the game. Offensively, the Rams are not a team designed to win shootouts and certainly not a group that can play from behind. The Lions are well aware of this and Matthew Stafford will look for his big play options in Marvin Jones and Theo Riddick. Detroit’s run game is suspect with Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington hurting, but the Lions will need to showcase something on the ground to keep the Rams honest and thinking, especially after getting ripped by the Bills.
Free ATS Pick
The Rams got the brunt of their injuries on the wrong side of the ball and it could be devastating for their chances of winning. The team is built around its defense, especially the front four, and with three of the key players from that unit missing from Sunday’s game, the outcome was expected. The Bills took advantage, racking up nearly 200 yards on the ground. And while the Rams hung close, the offense couldn’t overcome the losses. L.A. had to take some chances, but the Rams are a much better team playing with the lead. The offense is sluggish and isn’t a group that plays catch-up too well.
The Lions had a huge victory on Sunday, coming up with big plays to knock off the previously unbeaten Eagles. It was the type of victory that could change their season, but only if they are able to build off of it. Stafford had one of his best games against Philly and is in position to do the same against the Rams, especially if their defense is shorthanded. The loss of Johnson leaves the secondary wide open and Stafford will pick them apart if he has the time. I see the Lions covering the spread in a home victory.
NFL Odds: Lions 26, Rams 20
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