In a rematch of their epic 2018 shootout, the shorthanded Los Angeles Rams travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Join us for our NFL odds series, where our Rams-Chiefs prediction and pick will be revealed.
While this Rams squad may look slightly different than the one that took place with a combined 106 points a few, short seasons ago, there is no question that Los Angeles will try to score as much as possible with their season possibly hanging in the balance. At 3-7 coming into this one and Matthew Stafford expected to be sidelined due to a concussion, can head coach Sean McVay rally the troops around backup QB Bryce Perkins?
It has been over a month since the Chiefs went down in defeat, and they have certainly had a knack for the dramatic over the course of their past month. More specifically, KC has generated last-second comebacks in two of their previous three games as QB Patrick Mahomes is the clear-cut favorite to win MVP at this stage of the season. With the top record in the AFC at 8-2. the Chiefs are ready to continue to show why they have as good of a shot as any to bring home their third Lombardi trophy come February.
Here are the Rams-Chiefs NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: Rams-Chiefs Odds
Los Angeles Rams: +15.5 (-108)
Kansas City Chiefs: -15.5 (-112)
Over: 42.5 (-105)
Under: 42.5 (-115)
Why The Rams Could Cover The Spread
Without a doubt, the Rams will have an uphill climb to secure a spread-covering victory on Sunday. Although the Rams are heavy underdogs ahead of this one, don't tell this team that they don't at least have a chance. In the midst of a brutal four-game losing streak that has seen the Rams go winless since downing the Panthers at home back on Oct. 16th.
Clearly, if the Rams are going to find a way to cover this weekend, it will be in the hands of first-time starter Bryce Perkins. Playing his college ball at Virginia, Perkins compiled 47 touchdown passes and 20 rushing scores during his 27 total collegiate games played and is a true dual-threat that could cause some fits for a pretty average Chiefs defense. While this offense won't be the same without Matthew Stafford under center, the Rams have no doubt lacked in many areas with the ball in their possession this season, and Perkins could provide that spark.
Not to mention, this is as good of an opportunity as any to get the ground game going. At the moment, the Rams are only averaging 76 rushing yards per game and will need to establish some sort of presence of an attack on the ground to take the pressure off of Perkins' shoulders. With that being said, expect Sean McVay to feed running back Cam Akers more often than not in an attempt to get in a rhythm offensively and keep Mahomes and the Chiefs off of the field.
Why The Chiefs Could Cover The Spread
Simply put, can anyone stop this team? Averaging a whopping 30 points per game, Kansas City is on a mission to be the last ones standing for the first time since they hoisted the Lombardi trophy only a few short seasons ago. Even with the departure of longtime wideout Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs seem to not have missed any kind of beat.
When it comes to this upcoming game versus the Rams, the Chiefs most likely do not have to worry about Los Angeles scoring 51 points like last time. Not to mention, there's no doubt that Kansas City has found a groove offensively. In fact, no player in the NFL has been as dominant as Patrick Mahomes over the course of the past few weeks. In fact, Mahomes has racked up seven passing touchdowns in his last two weeks versus the Jaguars and Chargers. Coming into Week 12, the dynamic Chiefs field general leads the league in touchdowns and passing yards and will surely be the biggest reason why KC is able to cover the spread in this one.
Surprisingly, the biggest X-Factor for Kansas City will be their seventh-round draft pick from this last year in running back Isiah Pacheco. Always running angrily with the ball in his hands, Pacheco is fresh off of a 107-yard performance on an impressive 7.1 yards per carry and could be in for another big day in going up against a Rams defense that has been inconsistent in stopping the run this season.
Final Rams-Chiefs Prediction & Pick
At first glance, it appears that the Rams will have their hands full against a Chiefs squad that seems to have no plans in stopping their stellar play anytime soon. Even with the massive spread, Kansas City should be able to prevail.
Final Rams-Chiefs Prediction & Pick: Chiefs -15.5 (-112)
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