These teams will meet on Monday night in the regular season opener, so don’t expect many fireworks when the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Rams hook up in Week 2 of the preseason. It’s rare to see teams that play during the regular season have a preseason matchup, but that’s the case here. The Raiders will be playing their first game in the Coliseum since leaving Los Angeles and returning to the Bay Area following the 1994 campaign.
This Week 2 preseason matchup takes place on Saturday, August 18 at 4 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. You can watch the game live on NFL Network.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oakland Raiders +2.5
Los Angeles Rams -2.5
Over/Under 39
Odds Analysis
Another indication of why preseason games are difficult to handicap took place last week when the Rams trotted out their JV team in Baltimore. The result wasn’t surprising with the Rams getting spanked 33-7. Sean McVay will do whatever he thinks is right to keep his team healthy and ready for the regular games, but he’ll have to get his starters reps at some point, and that happens Saturday. The Rams opened as a 2.5-point favorite with the total at 39.
Key Matchup
Their second-stringers became starters, the third-team moved into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart and fringe roster players saw a majority of action in the second half. With nine projected starters from the offense and a number of others from the defense sitting out last week, it wasn’t a complete surprise that the Rams got smoked in Baltimore.
But it was rather irritating for Sean McVay to see his backups struggle as much as they did. Jared Goff and Todd Gurley were in sweats on the sideline, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp didn’t play, and three fifths of the offensive line didn’t take a snap. That will change this week, but just how much remains to be seen. It isn’t an ideal situation with the Rams and Raiders meeting in the regular season opener in just over three weeks, but the starters will get some reps.
With the exception of Sammy Watkins, the entire Rams offense returns after the group led the NFL in scoring with nearly 30 points per game in 2017. The Rams went from worst to first in that category, more than doubling their per game output from 2016 when they averaged 14 points per contest.
It’s hard to imagine either side pulling out the stops and opening up the playbook for this one. That will be saved for Sept. 10. But the Rams regulars need to get out and stretch their legs in a live game setting for the first time this year. We can expect the group to get as many reps as they need without giving away too many secrets and risking injury.
Player to Watch
Now that he has a firmer grasp of the playbook, look for Martavis Bryant to be a key figure in the Raiders’ offense. Bryant has all the physical tools to be a special player, but he lacks what it takes upstairs, and that nearly cost him a roster spot in Oakland. Just last week Jon Gruden scolded Bryant for not learning the offense and said the receiver needs to “play better.”
Apparently Bryant got the message. He had one catch for 18 yards in the preseason opener playing 13 snaps. Gruden likened Bryant to a white tiger, an animal that you don’t see for a while, but when he comes out of his cage he’s spectacular. Bryant still needs to impress after missing a few days of practice this week, and he’ll get more opportunities to separate in a crowded group of receivers on Saturday.
Free ATS Pick
The Rams will put up a fight with most of their regulars getting some playing time. Last week’s starters will be moved down the depth chart and everyone else will follow, making the matchups a bit more even. With the regulars on the field, the Rams have an advantage and they should come away victorious.
But don’t expect much from either side with the season opener looming in three weeks. Gruden and McVay aren’t going to give much away and that makes for a boring game that will likely play below the closing total.
NFL Odds: Rams 17, Raiders 14
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