Panthers Rams Betting – Two Teams Headed in Different Directions
The sports betting public has taken notice of the St. Louis Rams (3-4) and the direction they are headed in. The Rams had hit upon hard times just two or three years ago, but the recent addition of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford seems to have breathed some life into the St. Louis team. The Carolina Panthers (1-5) started the season with veteran quarterback Matt Moore, then went to rookie Jimmy Clausen and are now back to trying Moore. This is definitely the tale of two teams going in different directions.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Sunday, October 31st, 1:00 PM ET
- Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO
- Pick: St. Louis Rams -3
What’s On The Line
The NFL predictions prior to the 2010 season were not looking good for the Carolina Panthers. The general consensus is that Panthers head coach John Fox is fighting for his job, so Fox is not interested in developing the rookie Clausen. Fox needs to win now, but as the NFL scores start rolling in, it becomes obvious that Fox will be putting his resume together when this season is over.
The St. Louis Rams gave quarterback Marc Bulger every opportunity to become the elite quarterback everyone thought he would be, but it just never panned out. Sam Bradford was picked first overall in the 2010 draft by the Rams and, so far, the Rams are extremely pleased with the results.
Offensive Matchups: Panthers Rams Betting
To understand how bad things have gotten in Carolina you need to understand that they have a great wide receiver in Steve Smith, but no one to get him the ball. The Panthers have a future great running back in DeAngelo Williams, but they have no offensive line to block for Williams. In short, the Panthers have small pieces of a decent offense but nothing that comes together as a cohesive unit.
For the Rams, the feeling in the preseason was that running back Steven Jackson would have to carry the offense while Bradford got up to speed. That is simply not the case heading into week eight. Jackson and Bradford are working as an effective tandem with Jackson running for 617 yards in the first seven games, and Bradford throwing for 1,483 yards and nine touchdowns. To say that the Rams made the right choice in the draft is an understatement.
Betting Edge: Rams
Defensive Matchups: Panthers Rams Betting
The Rams have the 15th ranked defense in the league giving up an average of 330 yards per game. St. Louis is limiting teams to just an average of 19 points per game as well. If the defense in St. Louis keeps developing in step with the offense, they will be talking playoffs in a few years.
The Carolina Panthers have the seventh ranked defense in the league averaging 311 yards per game. But the problem for the Panthers is that they are ranked 24th against the rush giving up an average of 129 yards per game on the ground. That is a door that Steven Jackson will gladly walk through.
Betting Edge: Rams
Notable Injuries: Panthers Rams Betting
or the Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jeff Otah (knee) and running back DeAngelo Williams (foot) have not been able to practice all week.
The list of injuries for the Rams is long and includes James Butler (knee), Steven Jackson (finger), Justin King (hamstring), Fendi Onobun (back), Fred Robbins (toe), Darell Scott (ankle), Darian Stewart (hamstring), Mardy Gilyard (hamstring), Ron Bartell (neck), James Laurinaitis (knee) and David Vobora (hamstring). Gilyard, Bartell, Laurinaitis and Vobora were all able to practice this week.Betting Edge: Panthers
Outlook and Pick: Panthers Rams Betting
Steven Jackson may play in this game, but it will be on a limited basis. Even with that, the offensive line for the Rams is basically intact and that is all the Rams will really need to beat the Panthers.
Final Betting Pick: St. Louis Rams -3
