NFL Football: Los Angeles Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers

By BetOnline November 8, 2019

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The Pittsburgh Steelers looked dead in the water at 1-4, having to turn to third-stringer Devlin Hodges as their starting quarterback. Instead, they’ve gotten off the mat to win three in a row on the strength of their defense. Now we’ll see if they can keep it going when they take on the Los Angeles Rams, who are riding a two-game winning streak and are fresh off their bye.

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NFL ODDS: RAMS -3.5
NFL TOTAL: 43.5

WHY THE RAMS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

The Rams are taking on a Pittsburgh team which has been able to win its past two games but the games could have easily gone the other way. Against Miami, the Steelers trailed 14-0 until the Dolphins self-destructed and started helping them with turnovers. Against the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers caught a huge break when Colt quarterback Jacoby Brissett was injured. Even so, the Colts missed a makeable game-winning field goal at the buzzer to hand the Steelers the win. Assuming the Rams don’t suffer a big injury, turnover the ball plenty and start shanking field goals, they should be able to outclass the Steelers.

The Rams have the advantage of coming off a week of rest. Having two weeks to prepare should lead to them being fresh and physically ready to play. What is also noteworthy is that the Rams’ defense – which looked terrible in a 30-29 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 3 – has improved a great deal since then. The Rams allowed only 20 points to the San Francisco 49ers even though their offense played its worst game of the season and left the defense in a number of very difficult positions. The Rams then allowed just 10 points apiece to the Falcons and Bengals in the next two games. Coordinator Wade Phillips is one of the best defensive minds in the game. On top of that, the acquisition of Jalen Ramsey has settled in and made a difference. The Rams are in a good place right now.

WHY THE STEELERS WILL COVER THE SPREAD

Even though the Rams are coming off a break and have two weeks to prepare for this game, we’re still not sure how good their offense is. Todd Gurley clearly isn’t the same explosive running back we’ve seen in the past and quarterback Jared Goff is a big question mark. Sure, the team has won two in a row but they beat the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals, two teams who are a combined 1-15.

With the season halfway done, Goff is on pace to throw 22 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. As a comparison, Goff threw for 32 touchdowns last season against just 12 interceptions. In 2017, he had 28 touchdowns and seven picks. Goff’s production is down and his mistakes are up. The Steelers have forced more turnovers than any other team and they’re sixth in sacks. If they can harass Goff, he’ll make mistakes and give the Steelers a chance to win this game.

TAKING A LOOK AT THE TOTAL

The Rams’ defense should be able to hold the Steelers in check – especially since running back James Connor is expected to be out again. The Steelers passing game is ranked 26th in the NFL, so the Rams job is pretty easy: stop the run and they’ll have a great shot. As for the Rams, Goff does not inspire a ton confidence going up against a rugged defense. Don’t expect a ton of points here.