As part of their relocation agreement, the Los Angeles Rams will play one “home” game across the pond every season until their new stadium is ready for operation. So the Rams will travel the roughly 5,000 miles to host the New York Giants in Week 7 in the first NFL game at London’s Twickenham Stadium as the league expands its International Series to different venues. The Rams leave the States after suffering consecutive losses, wiping out all the good stuff that happened during their win streak that propelled them to the top of the NFC West.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 7 game is set for Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. ET at Twickenham Stadium in London, England.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New York Giants -2.5
Los Angeles Rams +2.5
Over/Under 44
Odds Analysis
Early action has come in strong favoring the Rams, forcing the line down a half point to New York -2.5. It’s never easy to handicap games played overseas in a neutral site with travel involved, but given their recent play and L.A.’s injury situation on defense, the Giants look like a strong pick. Both teams still have issues on offense and the total is set relatively high, giving the under some value.
Injury Report
Odell Beckham Jr. – Sustained a hip injury that briefly forced him out of Sunday’s game. OBJ returned, however, and put together a monstrous game with 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He will receive treatment before the team makes the long trip overseas and the down time on the flight could present problems.
Michael Brockers – One of three starting defensive linemen to miss the Bills game two weeks ago, Brockers returned against the Lions but reinjured his hip in the second half and didn’t return. With Robert Quinn still out with a shoulder injury, the Rams applied little pressure and surrendered 61 points combined in the last two games.
Matchup to Watch
A shorthanded Rams defense is just what Eli Manning and Beckham Jr. need to keep their mojo intact. For a second straight week, the Rams D was below average and it cost them a victory on a day when the offense, especially Case Keenum, went off. During their three-game winning streak, the defense made several game-changing plays, but playing without three linemen last week enabled the Bills to run all over them. The loss of Trumaine Johnson to an ankle injury allowed Matthew Stafford to pick them apart on Sunday. He threw four touchdowns and completed 74 percent of his passes with the Rams applying little pressure up front.
Quinn is likely out for at least another game with a shoulder injury and Brockers reinjured the hip that forced him out of the Week 5 contest. The Rams lean heavily on their defensive front and when three-quarters of the group isn’t playing, the results are not good. Buffalo blew them up two weeks ago running the football and the Lions authored their comeback through the air behind Stafford and Golden Tate. If the Rams can’t win when the offense produces nearly 400 yards and 28 points, they are in trouble.
Free ATS Pick
It’s hard to imagine the Rams doing the things they did on offense last week without the help of Todd Gurley. They produced 387 yards, racked up 23 first downs and scored 28 points, yet they still lost. Gurley was again a non-factor, rushing for just 58 yards. But on the bright side, his 4.1 yards per carry average was the best of the season. The Rams had plenty of success through the air against the Lions shaky secondary and Gurley had the fewest rush attempts of the season. It’s not what the Rams offense is about and in the end it cost them when Keenum threw a pick on the final drive.
L.A. needed an offensive outburst with the defense suffering injuries to several key players. The line applied little pressure and the Rams failed to record a takeaway. The defense just couldn’t stop the Lions when it needed to and Keenum has shown an inability to lead any comeback attempt. Look for Manning and OBJ to take their shots against the Rams, who will once again be shorthanded on defense. I don’t expect the Rams to put up the numbers against a decent Giants’ defense and Big Blue covers the line while getting the victory.
NFL Odds: Giants 22, Rams 16
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