Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons Pick 10/10/19
Los Angeles Rams (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS) vs. Atlanta Falcons (1-5 SU, 1-5 ATS)
NFL Football Week 7
Date/Time: Sunday – October 20th -1:00pm EST
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA
TV: FOX
Point Spread: LA -3/ATL +3 (Pinnacle)
Over/Under Total: 54.5
LOS ANGELES RAMS AND ATLANTA FALCONS MATCHUP:
Talk about a game between that planned on being in totally different spots this season. The Los Angeles Rams who have lost their last three straight will head east to Atlanta and hope to “right the ship” against a Falcons team that is in absolute shambles. The Rams are 3-3 and sit in third place in the NFC West behind San Francisco who has yet to lose and a Seattle Seahawks team that appears to be back in the hunt for an NFC title behind the play of Russell Wilson who in many experts eyes is the MVP through the first six games of the season. Annnd there is the Atlanta Falcons… I don’t even want to get into them. The defense is trash, the offense is starting to click, but they are 1-5 and dead last in the NFC South.
Just last season, the Los Angeles Rams won the NFC and were within a few plays of winning the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Coming into 2019, everyone, including myself, thought that the Rams would be right back in the mix. Don’t get me wrong. There is plenty of time for them to get things right and make another run, but after a 3-0 start, they now sit at 3-3 and look lost. In last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jared Goff passed for just 78 yards, and the leading rusher was Malcolm Brown, who gained just 40 yards. It was a disaster for the Rams, but that was against one of the league’s top defense, not the Falcons who rank 32nd.
As for Atlanta, the same ole story last week. They get down big in the first half, make a huge run, and fall just short. The offense again did their part, but the defense could not get the stops needed to get the win. And along with the defense which is the worst in the NFL besides the Dolphins, Atlanta was STILL able to score the game-tying touchdown with just moments left….then “Money Matt Bryant” missed the PAT causing Atlanta to lose by just a single point to the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 34-33. This Sunday not only will Atlanta be playing to keep themselves SOMEWHAT alive in the playoff hunt which in my opinion is over, but they are also playing for their head coach, Dan Quinn’s job….which I am hearing is already over, and Arthur Blank will pull the trigger and fire Quinn in two weeks when Atlanta has a BYE.
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HOW THE PUBLIC IS BETTING THE FALCONS AND RAMS GAME:
Although the Rams are on a three-game skid, they are still favored over the Atlanta Falcons by three points….in Atlanta. As of Tuesday evening, 72% of the action was on the Rams, and that had not changed much by Wednesday, where the Rams had 66% of the public action…and the line had not moved a bit. This usually tells me to lean the other way, but the Falcons suck right now…well, their defense does anyway. The total points are more split in the eyes of the public. 55% think the game goes over the 54.5 points while 45% likes it to go under. As a side bet, I like the over this Sunday…it is not my prime pick, but I do like it to go over.
WHY THE LOS ANGELES RAMS WILL COVER THE SPREAD ON SUNDAY:
I really like the Rams this Sunday, and for the exact same reason, the Falcons lost the last two games….defense. Atlanta cannot stop ANYONE. I probably sound like a broken record from last week’s Falcons article, but they are making average QBs look elite. Now they are facing off against a QB who went to the Super Bowl just last season in Jared Goff. Goff is also coming off of the worst week of his young career, with only 78 yards passing in the loss to the Niners. This Sunday will be different, much different. The Rams offense will be able to establish a running game, and that will allow Goff more opportunities to pick apart the Falcons FCS type defense. I do not even care if Todd Gurley plays, sits, or gets limited touches, ANYONE can gain yards on this defense, and it will happen Sunday again. Los Angeles will jump up on the Falcons something like 17-7 at the half, and then the second half will be back and forth. Now, I do realize that the Rams defense has not played as well as many thought they would be this year with injuries being a factor, but they are good enough to win a semi shootout against Atlanta and the acquisition of Jalen Ramsey will undoubtedly help. Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense will get theirs. Julio will do his thing, the running game will have a mediocre 65-70 yards on the ground, and Matt Ryan will have his usual three touchdowns and one pick that hits a wide receiver in the hands, but the Rams will be too much in the fourth quarter. The Rams will win something like 32-27, sending Atlanta to 1-6 and putting themselves back above .500. I like the Rams A LOT this Sunday.
Bob’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Take the Los Angeles Rams minus the points on the road in Atlanta Sunday! Make the Rams a +17 underdog or the Falcons a +23 underdog by inserting either into a GIANT 20 point NFL teaser at Wagerweb Sportsbook!
