The Los Angeles Rams were one of the most impressive NFL teams in Week 1, while the Indianapolis Colts were dominated at home. Indy looks to avoid an 0-2 start but it is a home dog Sunday on the NFL odds against Los Angeles.
How to Bet Rams at Colts NFL Odds & TV Info
- When: Sunday, 1 PM ET
- Where: Lucas Oil Stadium
- TV: Fox
- Radio: http://www.siriusxm.com/nfl
- Stream Option: NFLSUNDAYTICKET.TV
- Opening NFL Lines: Rams -3.5 (total 48)
Series history
The contest will mark the 45th all-time regular season matchup between the teams, with the Colts leading the series at 23-19-2. On Sept. 10, 2017, the Rams hosted and defeated Indianapolis, 46-9. Both teams are very different now.
Why Bet on LA Rams?
The Rams beat the visiting Bears 34-14 in Week 1. In his LA debut, Matthew Stafford completed 20-of-26 passes for 321 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Stafford became the first player in NFL history to win his team debut while passing for 300 yards, 3 TD and 0 picks. His first two touchdown passes went for a combined 123 yards. The was a 67-yard bomb to WR Van Jefferson on his second throw as a Ram. The second was a 56-yard pass to WR Cooper Kupp.
Darrell Henderson rushed 16 times for 70 yards and one touchdown, adding one reception for 17 yards. He could share carries once Sony Michel gets up to speed with the system, but Michel didn’t play a snap until late in the fourth quarter when the game was already salted away. Michel was acquired right before the season from New England.
Rams superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald is one and a half sacks away from surpassing Leonard Little’s 87.5 sacks and becoming the Rams all-time sack leader. Little got his 87.5 in 147 games. Donald has gotten 86.5 in 111 games.
Rams coach Sean McVay is 11-5 against AFC opponents in the regular season all-time. He began his career on an NFL record 10-game winning streak verse the AFC, but has since fallen to the Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Dolphins and Bills.
McVay could improve to 5-0 in road openers as a head coach. The Rams average 35.25 points per game in road openers under McVay, having never scored under 30 points in these games. The Rams have outscored their opponents 141-98 in the first four road openers under McVay.
With at least one interception from Carson Wentz against Indianapolis on Sunday, it would be the fifth straight time in McVay’s season opening road game that the Rams defensive unit has picked off the opposing quarterback. The Rams have seven interceptions over McVay’s four career road openers.
Why Bet on Indianapolis?
The Colts were 28-16 home losers to Seattle in Week 1 as Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half and Seattle’s defense clamped down in the second half. Indy allowed three sacks after giving up the second fewest (71) in the NFL over the previous three seasons.
In his Colts debut, Carson Wentz completed 25-of-38 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. He targeted Indianapolis’ backfield on 15-of-38 (39%) attempts and he took 14 hits and four sacks. Wentz started off strong in his Colts debut, going 9-of-10 for 97 yards and a score, to keep things close heading into halftime but wasn’t good in the second half. The Colts scored a field goal on their opening drive. Dating back to last season, Indianapolis has scored on their opening drive in seven consecutive regular season games.
The Colts’ longest offensive play of Week 1 was a 24-yard completion, with Wentz firing a strike to Parris Campbell. That was the Colts’ only play to gain more than 20 yards. In the absence of opportunities for those shot plays, the Colts weren’t able to turn screens to Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines into bigger gains.
“At the end of the day I have to watch the tape first and foremost. I know a handful of plays I want back that I could have gotten us in the right protection and helped help us out. So, you can never take it right at face value. We have to go learn from it, learn from the tape,” Wentz said. “As a team, we just didn’t play complementary football. When the defense had stops, three-and-outs, the turnovers – offensively we didn’t capitalize and we have to do better at that, but that’s a good football team and we are going to learn from this one.”
Taylor led the team in rushing with 17 carries for 56 yards. He also led the team in receiving with six receptions for 60 yards. Taylor eclipsed 1,200 career rushing yards and became just the eighth player in team history to reach that plateau in their first two seasons.
Five players played all 54 of the Colts’ defensive snaps: Linebackers Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke; cornerback Rock Ya-Sin; and safeties Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis. Leonard notched the 10th forced fumble of his career on Sunday with a perfectly-executed Peanut Punch in the third quarter. He’s one of seven players to have 10 forced fumbles since the start of the 2018 season.
However, Leonard could miss this game as he’s dealing with a non-COVID illness. Top cornerback Xavier Rhodes missed the opener and is iffy for Week 2.
Game Trends
- Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
- Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in Week 2.
- Rams are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games in September.
- Colts are 16-7 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Colts are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Colts are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
Expert Prediction
- Rams 26, Colts 23
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