It has been a rough season for Jared Goff. He has taken a team to the Super Bowl before, but it was an incredibly talented Los Angeles Rams team. His new team, the Detroit Lions, has nowhere near the talent his Rams had — or the talent the Rams have this year.
If there was ever a time for Goff to have the game of his life, this would be it, but the Lions are coming off arguably their worst loss of the season. On the other hand, the Rams are fresh off a dominant performance against the New York Giants. That does not necessarily mean Goff and the Lions do not have a chance, but, it is a slim one.
Lions Vs Rams Betting Odds
| Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 10/24 @ 4:05 PM ET | Best Lions Odds | Best Rams Odds | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | +15.5 (-110) | Spread | -15.0 (-108) | PointsBet |
| BetRivers | +700 | Moneyline | -909 | BetRivers |
| BetMGM | Over 50.5 (-110) | Total | Under 51 (-115) | DraftKings |
Detroit Lions
The Lions were surprisingly competitive in their first five games and should have won two of them. As for their sixth game—it was not pretty. The lack of energy and effort led to head coach Dan Campbell calling for Goff to step up and make some plays. Campbell also said Goff needs help, which he has gotten precious little of this season.
Against the Rams, he will need plenty of it if the Lions are going to have a shot.
His offensive line will have to do a much better job. Goff has been sacked 15 times this season. The Rams’ defensive front has a 37 percent pressure rate this season and will undoubtedly be coming after Goff. He may be better off trying to unload the ball quicker rather than count on better protection.
One of his best weapons, tight end T.J. Hockenson, is dealing with a knee injury. He will have his two talented running backs, D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, but without the Lions boasting someone who can stretch the field even a little bit, it will not be hard for the Rams to take them away.
That means one or two of the Lions’ wide receivers need to step up. Kalif Raymond and Amon-Ra St. Brown have shown flashes of potential, but not enough to say they can be counted on against a good Rams defense. Even if Goff can get the offense moving, the Lions’ defense will have a hard time slowing down Rams QB Matthew Stafford. No one is allowing more yards per attempt than the Lions this season.
Los Angeles Rams
Stafford has done what was expected of him when he arrived in Los Angeles — make the offense more explosive. Last season, the Rams’ offense was a middle-of-the-road unit when it came to getting the ball downfield. Goff threw the ball underneath a lot and did not throw downfield much, but Stafford excels at getting the ball downfield. This year, the Rams rank first in yards per attempt and plays of 15+ yards.
Of course, it helps when you have wide receivers like Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods to work with, but the Rams are more than just a passing team.
Many assumed the run game would suffer when Cam Akers went down, but Darrell Henderson Jr. has proven to be quite effective with 70+ yards in four of five games. While they are only gaining 103.5 yards a game on the ground, it is enough to keep defenses honest. Although the offense is a lot better than it was last year, the defense is still the biggest strength. Aaron Donald and the rest of the defensive front have wreaked havoc on offensive lines all season. They should do so again against the Lions.
All the pieces are in place for the Rams to record an easy win, but when things appear to be too easy is when they become anything but that.
Betting Recommendation
It would make for a great story if Goff could return to LA and get his first win as a Lion against the team that discarded him, but barring an unexpected offensive explosion by the Lions and an implosion by the Rams, it is hard to see that happening. There just is not a single factor that works in the Lions’ favor.
So take the Rams to win against the spread. It is a big spread, but there is no reason to think the Lions can keep it closer than two touchdowns. As for the total, it is hard to count on the Lions to score anything in this game. While the Rams might be able to hang 51+ on the Lions, do not bank on it. Take the under.
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