One of the best games on the Week 17 schedule features the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Los Angeles Rams.
At the moment, these teams are moving in opposite directions, with Baltimore losing four in a row and the Rams riding a four-game winning streak.
That likely explains why the Rams are 4.5-point favorites on the road with the over/under of 46.5 points.
It wasn’t long ago that the Rams had lost three in a row and looked to be in a little bit of trouble. But with four straight wins, Los Angeles has turned things around. With the Cardinals faltering simultaneously, the Rams now lead the NFC West at 11-4 and have at least secured a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, four-straight losses have taken Baltimore from the top of the AFC North to a four-way tie for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. Granted, three of those four losses came by a total of four points.
But after a 41-21 loss to the Bengals last week, there are serious concerns about the Ravens, who are desperate to get back on track.
To Play or Not to Play
For what it’s worth, Lamar Jackson has only played a full game once during Baltimore’s four-game losing streak, although he’s questionable again this week. The silver lining is that backup Tyler Huntley will be available after missing last week with COVID and has been a viable replacement for Jackson.
But the Ravens still have questions about their running backs and downfield passing game.
At the same time, the Ravens have allowed 72 points over their last two games, with the defense starting to let them down. Injuries, particularly in the secondary, have begun to catch up with the Ravens, making them vulnerable against good passing teams.
Also, the Ravens have just 11 takeaways in 15 games, which isn’t a lot for a team that hopes to get to the playoffs and needs to make up for an offense that’s playing short-handed.
Coming Together
On the heels of four straight wins, everything may be starting to fall into place for the Rams.
While Matthew Stafford had an off-day with three interceptions last week, the running game is stepping up with Sony Michel rushing for at least 90 yards three times during the team’s four-game winning streak. Plus, the Rams have the best receiver in the league in Cooper Kupp, while Odell Beckham has started to make an impact as well, scoring four touchdowns in his last five games.
The Los Angeles defense is also seeing things lock into place. Aaron Donald has been a one-man wrecking crew over the past month, collecting six sacks in his last four games to coincide with the team’s winning streak.
The Rams also have Leonard Floyd and Von Miller as a pass-rushing tandem, making the LA defense a little more dangerous when the Rams are playing with a lead.
Road Warriors
It’s worth remembering that the Rams are a West Coast team playing an early game on the East Coast this week. But it’ll take more than that to slow them down against a Baltimore team that has serious questions on both sides of the ball.
Bet on the Rams to win and cover on the road against the Ravens.
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