Just two years removed from a 13-win season and a trip to the Super Bowl the Los Angeles Rams have fallen off the radar. They stumbled to a disappointing 9-7 record last season, failing to reach their projected win total of 10.5. Salary cap restrictions and the lack of a first-round draft pick left this offseason as one of the worst in the NFL. Oddsmakers adjusted lowering their win total to 8.5, which could be difficult for them to reach. The team isn’t completely void of talent and we’ll see if Sean McVay is the genius coach that led the club to 24 wins in his first two seasons.
Los Angeles Rams Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu
Rams Over 8.5 Wins: +109
Rams Under 8.5 Wins: -131
2020 Los Angeles Rams Preview
The Rams went 13 seasons without a winning record until McVay arrived. They put together three straight winning seasons for the first time since the turn of the century when the Greatest Show on Turf was bouncing around St. Louis. So winning nine games isn’t something the team should take lightly. What is concerning is the turnover of personnel. Todd Gurley never seemed right after a knee injury late in the Super Bowl season. The offense will also be without speedster Brandin Cooks. And while Jared Goff had a strong season, the numbers were well below what he amassed in 2018.
The absence of a ground game forced LA to the air a lot. Goff led the NFL with 626 pass attempts for 4,638 yards and 22 touchdowns. Those numbers were below his 2018 totals despite throwing 65 more passes. He also tossed 16 picks. The Rams averaged 281.2 yards through the air and the top two receivers are back. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods each had at least 90 catches and over 1,100 yards. The offense works best with the threat of the run, which wasn’t around last year. Filling the void left by Gurley is top pick Cam Akers. Keeping the offensive line healthy will help the Rams score more than 24.6 points per game.
Boasting two of the top defensive players in the league in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, the Rams should be better on that side of the football. They did lose a number of starters from last year’s group that allowed 339.6 yards and 22.8 points per game. Gone are Dante Fowler, Clay Matthews and Cory Littleton. The Rams did bring in Leonard Floyd, but there are plenty of questions with the unit that new coordinator Brandon Staley needs to work out.
2020 Los Angeles Rams Schedule
Week 1: Cowboys at Rams, Sunday, September 13, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 2: Rams at Eagles, Sunday, September 20, 1 p.m. ET
Week 3: Rams at Bills, Sunday, September 27, 1 p.m. ET
Week 4: Giants at Rams, Sunday, October 4, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 5: Rams at Redskins, Sunday, October 11, 1 p.m. ET
Week 6: Rams at 49ers, Sunday, October 18, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 7: Bears at Rams, Monday, October 26, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 8: Rams at Dolphins, Sunday, November 1, 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Seahawks at Rams, Sunday, November 15, 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 11: Rams at Buccaneers, Monday, November 23, 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 12: 49ers at Rams, Sunday, November 29, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 14: Patriots at Rams, Thursday, December 10, 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 15: Jets at Rams, Saturday/Sunday, December 19/20, TBA
Week 16: Rams at Seahawks, Sunday, December 27, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 17: Cardinals at Rams, Sunday, January 3, 4:25 p.m. ET
2020 Los Angeles Rams Schedule Analysis
It’s a tough opening stretch for the Rams who christen the new gazillion-dollar SoFi Stadium with the Cowboys in Week 1. All five of their non-division road games take place in the Eastern Time zone with three trips in four weeks following the opener. The first two figure to be dog fights with back-to-back games against Philly and Buffalo. Following a home game against the Giants its back on the road to Washington with a Thursday night showdown and their first NFC West encounter in Week 6 against San Francisco.
The bye week comes right in the middle of the schedule. The Rams play five home games in the second half, including three of their final four. The only lengthy trip over the last eight weeks is to Tampa to take on Tom Brady and the Bucs. Their last two road games are short jaunts to Phoenix and Seattle. With three new coordinators and several fresh faces on defense, the Rams need to be ready for the first few weeks or it could be a long season.
The Final Verdict
I’m not convinced the Rams did enough this offseason to get much better. They could battle for a wild card spot like they did last year, but that first half is going to be brutal. If it goes bad they won’t be able to recover. Finishing 8-8 is the most likely scenario in a division that has passed them up.
NFL Betting Odds: Los Angeles Rams Under 8.5 Wins
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