Saints vs. Rams Preview

Game: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams

Date: November 2nd at 4:05 PM ET

Where to Watch: Fox

With any idea of playoff hopes out of the picture for the New Orleans Saints, we are finally going to see Tyler Shough get his first NFL start. This season has obviously been one of learning for not only many of the young players in the Saints locker room, but also the new coaching staff. This week the 1-7 Saints will be going up against a team that has playoff and Super Bowl aspirations in the Los Angeles Rams. New Orleans comes into this one with the 27th-ranked offense in yards per game (295), as well as the 29th-ranked offense in points per game (16). The defense has certainly been better than the offense as they’re 15th in yards allowed per game (320.3), and 24th in points allowed per game (26.1). On the other end, the 5-2 Rams have been effective on both sides of the ball. This game presents a lot of uncertainty with Shough getting the start, especially with the Saints on a long road trip.

Weather

This game will be played at room temperature, and with it being held at SoFi Stadium, precipitation won’t be an issue. Winds shouldn’t be a major factor either, with averages around 4 mph and gusts reaching up to 9 mph.

Betting Overview

Sportsbooks opened this matchup with LA as 9.5-point favorites, but now we see them favored by around 14 to 14.5. You can currently get New Orleans at +800 on the moneyline, while the best available number for the Rams is -1000. The total has taken a slight dip from the original line of 44.5, as it now sits between 44 and 43.5.

Position Group & Coaching Comparisons

Coaching: This coaching matchup isn’t particularly close at this point. Sean McVay has solidified himself as one of the most unique and effective minds in the NFL, and going up against an inexperienced staff, it isn’t really fair.

DLs vs. OLs: Up front, we see a clear advantage for the Rams in this one. The Saints aren’t particularly strong on either side, while the Rams are solid on both sides of the line. We’re likely to see the Saints’ fronts getting pushed around all game.

QBs: There’s not much you can really say about this matchup. It simply comes down to the fact that you have a rookie making his first start, and Matthew Stafford, who has been one of the best pocket passers of the last decade and a half.

RBs & TEs vs. LBs: This is the one area where the Saints might hold a slight advantage. Both teams have strong linebacker groups, but the Saints are better in the RB and TE departments.

WRs vs. Secondaries: It looks like Puka Nacua will be back for the Rams this week, making an already talented receiver room dominant. This could be a long day for the Saints on the outside on both sides of the ball.

Betting Trends

With things trending in the wrong direction for the Saints, they enter this matchup 2-6 ATS on the season, along with a 1-2 record on the road — all three being games where they were underdogs. Over/unders have leaned toward the under in Saints games, hitting in 5 of 8, though the over has cashed in 2 of their 3 road matchups.

Los Angeles has been a strong ATS team this season, sitting at 5-2. They’re also 2-1 at home, with all three being games in which they were favored. Unders have been more common in Rams games, hitting in 4 of 7, including 2 of 3 at home.

Final Thoughts

This game is obviously a tough one to bet, especially with a brand-new face under center for one of the teams. While a 14.5-point spread is enormous, I think it’s very fair given how these teams match up. With so much uncertainty surrounding this matchup, I would avoid betting it altogether.