Rams vs Redskins Odds - Washington “D” will pummel anemic St. Louis offense

NFL betting players aren’t thinking about St. Louis, who is clearly in a rebuilding mode. This week’s test for the Rams comes from Washington, who improved one of the best defenses in the league with Albert Haynesworth. Judging from last week’s showing against Seattle, it’s going to be a long, long day for Marc Bulger and the rest of the St. Louis offense.

Rams vs Redskins Odds: Redskins -9.5 (Total: 36.5)

• WHAT: NFL betting
  
• WHEN: Sunday, September 20, 1:00 PM ET
  
• WHERE: FedEx Field, Landover, MD
  
• KEY STAT: St. Louis’s only road win in their last 10 games came last year at Washington
  
• PICK: Redskins; OVER 36.5

Rams vs Redskins odds maker breakdown: The Storyline
No one is giving the Rams much of a chance to do anything this year, and they showed why in a 28-0 loss at Seattle in which they committed far too many penalties and couldn’t move the chains. The Redskins dropped a hard-fought 23-17 game against the Giants, clawing their way back from a 17-0 second-quarter deficit.

Rams vs Redskins odds maker breakdown: Offense
Saying the Rams were atrocious offensively against the Seahawks is an understatement. St. Louis gained 247 yards, and they didn’t even bother to go down the field, averaging 4.7 yards on their 36 pass attempts. They also committed a lot of penalties that either wiped out big plays, or put them in bad positions on third down, which resulted in only two third-down conversions out of 12 chances. Not the best way to boost your already pitiful sports betting odds.

The Redskins weren’t much better, although they were playing against a much better defense in the Giants. Washington racked up 272 yards, including 85 on the ground. Jason Campbell was efficient, going 19-of-26 for 211 yards, a touchdown and a pick, but like the Rams, the Redskins couldn’t go down the field. Campbell was sacked three times, he fumbled twice, and one of those was returned for a touchdown.

Betting Edge: Redskins

Rams vs Redskins odds maker breakdown: Defense
St. Louis is supposed to improve defensively under new coach Steve Spagnuolo, who coordinated the Giants’ Super Bowl win over New England in 2007. They did manage to force three turnovers, but the Seahawks still gained 446 yards, including 167 rushing yards. Rookie James Laurinaitis made 14 tackles (10 solo) in his NFL debut.

London Fletcher was everywhere against the Giants, making 18 tackles (11 solo), and the Redskins did a great job against the Giants’ vaunted ground game, holding them to 103 yards. They also shut down the Giants on all three of their red-zone opportunities. Big-money signing Albert Haynesworth was average in his Washington debut, but he’s too good to be average for long.

Betting Edge: Redskins

Rams vs Redskins odds maker breakdown: Special Teams
Josh Brown missed his lone field-goal attempt, but Donnie Jones averaged almost 51 yards a punt, which is a handy weapon to have when you have an offense like the Rams. The return teams did a decent job as well.

Hunter Smith didn’t average 40 yards in his five punts, and Santana Moss barely got a chance to show his stuff with the punt-return team. Still, their coverage teams kept the Giants at bay.

Betting Edge: Draw

Rams vs Redskins odds maker breakdown: Notable Injuries
Laurinaitis got hit in the knee, but he should be fine for this game. Also, Bulger played with his a broken finger taped, which may have had a little to do with his performance.

The Redskins have no major injuries to worry about.

Betting Edge: Redskins

Rams vs Redskins betting breakdown: Outlook and Pick
The Rams have lost six straight on the road dating back to last year, and nine of 10 overall. But guess where their last win came? Last October in Washington, when Brown hit a 49-yard field goal with no time remaining to give St. Louis a 19-17 victory. It won’t be this close on Sunday, because if the Rams had trouble with Seattle’s defense, they’re in for a long day against the Redskins. Look for Haynesworth and Andre Carter to be in the St. Louis backfield all day long, while the Redskins’ offense does just enough to cover the 9.5-point spread.

The total stands at 36.5 in your offshore sportsbook as the two have gone under in four of their last five meetings, with an average total of just under 46. As bad as the St. Louis offense is, it’s tough to imagine them scoring more than 14 points. The Rams’ defense will be left on the field too long, which gives the Redskins opportunity to put up points. They’ll go over this week’s total, but just barely.

STAN’S PICK: Redskins; OVER 36.5

For more online betting tips and picks throughout the season, visit Stan in the Betting Edge at BetOnline.com. For more on the Rams vs Redskins matchup, check out our stats section.

Stan Simmons is one of BetOnline.com's NFL experts.