Rams vs Seahawks Preview: Rams Look to Rebound After Dismal Season

The Los Angeles Rams visit NFC West foe Seattle to open the season. The Rams suffered through an injury-plagued season that saw them go from Super Bowl champions to 5-12 last year. The Seahawks are coming off a 9-8 record and earned a wild card berth. The Rams are a better team than they showed last season. But the bigger question is if Seattle is as good as it looked at times last year. The Rams vs Seahawks preview will look at both teams and how they’ll fare compared to what they did last season.

The Seahawks opened as 6-point favorites, and the line has held pretty steady, dropping a half-point to its current Seattle -5.5. The total has seen solid two-way action and is holding at the opening number of 46. The Seahawks are -235 on the moneyline.

Kupp Sidelined for Season Opener

If the Rams thought they could put last year’s injury woes behind them, they better think again. Cooper Kupp will miss the Seattle game with a hamstring issue. The Rams will need guys like Tyler Higbee and Van Jefferson to pick their games up a notch. After finishing dead last in the NFL in total offense a year ago, the Rams need many players to turn it up.

The Rams were No. 27 in passing offense, although they use four quarterbacks during the year. Los Angeles was also No. 27 in rushing offense, so Cam Akers will be counted on for some big things. He finished the year strong, and the Rams need him to pick up where he left off.

Despite the injuries, the Rams finished the year at No. 19 in total defense. Los Angeles was No. 21 against the pass and No. 13 against the run. So, things could have been worse. The Rams were No. 21 in scoring defense, but that was magnified a bit due to the offense’s struggles.

Seattle Looks to Show Last Season Was No Fluke

Not much was expected out of the Seattle Seahawks last year. Russell Wilson moved on to Denver, and Seattle was left with Geno Smith at quarterback. But when it was all said and done, Seattle was 9-8 in the NFL standings, and Smith threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those numbers will be hard to duplicate.

Seattle was No. 12 in passing offense and No. 18 in rushing offense to finish No. 13 in total offense and No. 9 in scoring. It’s hard to fault much of what the Seahawks did with the ball.

It was a different story defensively for the Seahawks, who finished No. 27 in total defense and No. 25 in scoring defense. Much of Seattle’s problems can be traced to an inability to stop the run. The Seahawks were No. 30 in rushing defense, allowing 150.2 yards per game. With an NFL schedule that includes games against the AFC North and NFC East, Seattle must shore up its run defense quickly.

Who to Bet On?

The Rams vs Seahawks preview notes the NFL odds are a shade too high in Seattle’s direction. That’s assuming the rest of the Rams are ready to go. You can’t judge Los Angeles by what it did last year. But you can’t put them at the same level as the 2021 team that won the Super Bowl. Los Angeles is probably somewhere in the middle. But it’s not unfair to say they lean a little more to last year’s squad than the Super Bowl team.

For somebody who entered last season with 34 career TD passes and 37 interceptions, Smith did an amazing job with his 30 TD passes and 11 interceptions. While he may repeat last season’s effort, it’s unlikely. While he threw more touchdown passes in the second half of last season, he also threw more picks. His passer rating dropped a bit and his worst two months were December and January.

Teams that had success against Seattle were those who were able to run the ball against them. The Rams probably don’t fit into that category, however. Seattle was 1-8 straight-up when allowing 150 or more rushing yards. Akers rushed for 632 yards and six touchdowns in the Rams’ final eight games of the season, so he should see the ball plenty. Especially since Seattle has to respect Matthew Stafford more than teams did the other quarterbacks the Rams played down the stretch.

The Rams vs Seahawks preview likes Los Angeles to keep this one closer than expected. You’re buying low on the Rams and going against a Seattle team that could be slightly overrated this season. Take Los Angeles +5.5 in this game.

For NFL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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