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Week 17 of the NFL season is nearly here. The Los Angeles Rams will travel to take on the Baltimore Ravens. It's time to continue our NFL odds series and make a Rams-Ravens prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have been having good seasons. The Los Angeles Rams are 11-4 and have won their last 4 games. While the Baltimore Ravens are 8-7 and have lost their last 4 games. This should be an interesting match up between two teams trending in different directions.
Here are the odds for the Rams-Ravens matchup courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Rams-Ravens Odds:
Los Angeles Rams: -5.5 (-110)
Baltimore Ravens: +5.5 (-110)
Over 46 (-110)
Under 46 (-110)
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Why The Rams Could Win
The Los Angeles Rams are one of the best teams in the NFL. Through their first 15 games they have managed to win 11 and los only 4. LA has won their last 4 games, with their most recent victory coming against the Vikings by 7. The Rams have beaten some of the best teams in the NFL and will try and extend their win streak to five on Sunday. Baltimore will be a tough opponent, but the Rams should be able to battle and come out ahead. If LA comes into this game ready for battle, then they should be able to come out ahead.
The leader and quarterback of this Rams team is Matthew Stafford. Stafford has been having a very solid season, but is coming off a rather underwhelming performance. In their win over Minnesota, Stafford threw for only 197 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. This was definitely an outlier performance for Stafford, who hadn't thrown for less than 200 yards or more than 2 interceptions in a single game. On the season Stafford has thrown for over 4,300 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He will play a huge role in this game. The fact that LA was able to win, even with Stafford having his worst game of the season, is a testament to the capabilities of this Rams team.
On the other side of the ball, the Rams defense ranks 16th in the league in total yards allowed. They allow less than 340 yards of offense to opposing teams. Where they are particularly strong is in stopping the run. The Rams allow just over 96 rushing yards to opposing backs. When teams struggle to get their run game going, the rest of the offense often struggles too. If LA can continue to hold down the front line and stop Baltimore's run game, then the Rams should have no problem pulling out this win.
Why The Ravens Could Win
The Baltimore Ravens came into this season as a potential super bowl favorite. 15 games later they have barely managed to squeak out a winning record with only 8 wins and 7 losses. Since the ankle injury to Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have been trending downwards. Baltimore has lost their last four games, with their most recent defeat coming at the hands of Cincinnati by 20. The Ravens definitely have a tall task ahead of them in their Week 17 match up, but they could rise to the occasion.
With Lamar Jackson not likely to start, the Ravens will turn to Tyler Huntley once again. Huntley missed last week's match up against the Bengals, forcing the Ravens to start Josh Johnson at quarterback. Now that Huntley has returned from COVID list he will likely get the start. Huntley has started three games for the Ravens and has thrown for over 740 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. While his numbers are nothing special, Huntley has been a serviceable option for Baltimore. He will face his toughest challenge yet this week against Los Angeles. If the Ravens want to win this game, they will need their quarterback to step up.
On the defensive side of things, the Ravens defense ranks 25th in the league in total yards allowed. Baltimore allows over 366 yards of offense to opposing teams. Like the Rams, Baltimore's strongest part of their defense is their run defense. The Ravens have held opposing backfields to only 85 rushing yards per games. While they have struggled defending the pass, Baltimore's rushing defense has been a big reason that they have managed to win games. If Baltimore can pressure Matthew Stafford consistently, throughout the whole game, then they might be able to steal this one.
Final Rams-Ravens Prediction & Pick
This is a pretty easy decision. The Rams are the much better team here. With injuries handicapping Baltimore, LA looks primed to extend their win streak to five. If Lamar Jackson comes back and takes over at quarterback, then this game could be much closer. However, that does not seem likely. LA's offense and defense are both superior to the Ravens and that should be on display from the first snap of the game. Pick the LA Rams to win and cover.
FINAL RAMS-RAVENS PREDICTION & PICK: Los Angeles Rams -5.5 (-110)
