We’ll see if the Los Angeles Rams starters actually exist when the team takes the field for its Week 1 Monday Night Football opener against the Oakland Raiders. It’s hard to argue with Sean McVay’s logic after he led the team to a seven-game improvement from 2016 and earned Coach of the Year honors. But you have to wonder if the guys will be ready to go after most of the regulars watched. You also have to wonder about the psyche of the Raiders after management traded away one of the best defenders in the league. Meanwhile, the Rams locked up their guy and Aaron Donald will be on the field Monday night.
Kickoff for this NFL regular season Week 1 game is set for Monday, September 10, 2018, at 10:20 p.m. ET at Oakland Coliseum.
NFL Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Rams -4
Oakland Raiders +4
Over/Under 49.5
Odds Analysis
The line originally hit the board at Rams -1 but has seen a steady increase with continued backing for the visitors. Currently at Rams -4 with nearly 80 percent of the action backing Los Angeles, we could see this spike even higher. The total of 49.5 is one of the highest on the board and two-thirds of the action is favoring the under.
Injury Report
Jamon Brown – The Rams offensive line was the only group to start 15 consecutive games last year before McVay elected to sit his regulars in the finale. That won’t be the case this year with Brown set to serve a two-game suspension. The Rams third-round pick in 2015, Brown was the only lineman to start every game last season and proved to be solid run blocker in the middle for Todd Gurley. Austin Blythe or Joseph Noteboom will get the assignment in Brown’s absence.
Matchup to Watch
Owning the league’s highest scoring offense in 2017 and with nearly the entire unit returning, the Rams turned their attention to the defensive side of the football during the offseason. The team landed Ndamukong Suh to team with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Donald to form a monstrous front. They also added cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib to fortify the secondary.
The goal is to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and Derek Carr will the first to test Wade Phillips’ new unit. The Raiders have one of the top offensive lines in football and the group will be responsible for keeping Donald, Suh, Michael Brockers and others away from Carr. The Raiders QB tossed a career-high tying 13 interceptions last season and will have to test what is arguably the best set of corners in the league.
Player to Watch
This is kind of a homecoming for Jared Goff, who was born in San Rafael and played his college ball at Cal. And he’ll be taking the field in a game situation for the first time this season. The No. 1 overall pick in 2016 blossomed under the tutelage of McVay last season, completing over 62 percent of his passes for 3,804 yards and 28 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. Goff averaged 8.0 yards per pass attempt and owned the fifth-highest passer rating at 100.5.
While Goff’s individual numbers were outstanding and a major improvement from his rookie season, his command of the offense was more impressive. The Rams went from being the lowest scoring team in 2016 to leading the NFL last year, improving by 16 points per game. It helped having Todd Gurley in the backfield and an offensive line that remained intact the entire season, but Goff was the ringleader, quickly mastering McVay’s schemes and running them to perfection.
Free ATS Pick
Everything McVay has done in his brief coaching career has been golden so we shouldn’t criticize his decision to rest his starters the entire preseason. But there is something to gain from playing and the Rams might be a tad rusty at the opening. The Rams spent a lot of money locking down key players and that didn’t go unnoticed by the Raiders, many of whom were shocked at the trade of Mack. That will have an impact on them.
The championship window is wide open and the Rams are going for it. They added several big names on defense to go with their star-studded offense and they are primed for a run after being knocked out in the wild card round. There isn’t a lot of depth behind the starters and it’s hard to imagine the Rams staying as healthy as they did last year, but that’s something to worry about later. The Rams have weapons on both sides of the ball and open with a cover win on the road.
NFL Betting Odds: Rams 31, Raiders 20
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