Navigate

Los Angeles Rams vs. Atlanta Falcons NFL Sports Betting Guide

by |

Prior to the season, the Week 7 contest between the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams was expected to be a battle of heavyweights. Instead, it is a contest between two of the most disappointing teams in football. The two most recent NFC champions have seen their fortunes take a sharp turn for the worst. The Rams have the talent to turn their season around. Atlanta may not. 

Deposit $50 at PointsBet and get a free $100 bonus! >>

Details

  • Opening Lines: The line for this contest opened at -4 on the Los Angeles Rams. The over/under total opened at 53 points. The point spread has dropped to -3 on Los Angeles. The over/under total has also seen some movement, with the total rising from 53 to 54.5.
  • Current Line: Los Angeles -3
  • O/U: 54.5
  • Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Start Time: 1:00 PM EST, Sunday, October 20
  • Last Meeting: Atlanta defeated Los Angeles 26-13 – January 6, 2018

View consensus picks from 100+ experts for the Rams at Falcons >>

Overview

The Los Angeles Rams appear to be suffering from a severe case of “Super Bowl hangover.” Todd Gurley has been a shell of the all-world level talent we have all come to know and love, and it has affected the entire Rams offense. Jared Goff’s play has fallen off a cliff despite being surrounded by one of the top wide receiver trios in football.

The Rams started the season undefeated through three contests, but have since dropped three straight and now sit at 3-3. Los Angeles made the blockbuster trade acquisition of elite cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Tuesday and appear to be going all-in on the 2019 season despite their obvious issues on the other side of the ball. Ramsey transforms the team’s defensive upside, and there is still hope for the offense through an effective Todd Gurley or by turning to electric rookie running back Darrell Henderson.

The Rams have a relatively soft schedule, but will need to be playing at a level close to top form to reach the double-digit win mark. Jalen Ramsey figures to be a key piece in the attempt to reach that goal.

The Atlanta Falcons have so much talent, but are so disappointing. Atlanta sits at 1-5 through six weeks of the regular season due to an atrocious defense. They have allowed a whopping 31 points per game, the worst mark in the league for any team not named the Miami Dolphins.

A team often lauded for its strong leadership from the owner on down has started to fall apart from the seams. General manager Thomas Dimitroff had two first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, but proceeded to reach twice on players with second-round grades. Even worse, he spent them on offensive linemen when their major issues after free agency were their cornerbacks and their pass rush. 

Keanu Neal has been lost for the season for the second year in a row and that has compounded the Falcons’ issues in their secondary. Atlanta does not have any weak opponents left on their schedule and will need to make marked improvement if they are to avoid being a two to four-win team. 

Trends

  • Los Angeles is 4-2 ATS on the season.
  • Los Angeles is 3-0 ATS on the road this season. 
  • Atlanta is 1-5 ATS on the season. 
  • Atlanta is 1-1 ATS at home this season. 
  • The favorite is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 contests between these two teams. 
  • The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five contests between these two teams. 
  • Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS in their last four contests against Atlanta. 
  • Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two teams in Atlanta. 
  • Los Angeles is 5-0 ATS in their last five road contests. 
  • Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in their last five Week 7 contests. 
  • Los Angeles is 7-2 ATS in their last nine contests against the NFC. 
  • Los Angeles is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 contests. 
  • Atlanta is 2-7 ATS in their last nine contests following a straight-up loss. 
  • Atlanta is 2-7 ATS in their last nine contests following a loss ATS. 
  • Atlanta is 0-4 ATS in their last four contests. 
  • Atlanta is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 October contests. 
  • Under is 4-0 in Los Angeles’ last four Week 7 contests. 
  • Over is 5-1 in Los Angeles’ last six contests following a loss ATS.
  • Under is 4-1 in Los Angeles’ last five October contests. 
  • Under is 5-2 in Los Angeles’ last seven road contests. 
  • Under is 7-3 in Los Angeles’ last 10 contests following a double-digit home loss. 
  • Over is 5-1 in Atlanta’s last six October contests. 
  • Under is 5-1 in Atlanta’s last six home contests. 
  • Under is 4-1 in Atlanta’s last five Week 7 contests. 

Prop Bets 

Calvin Ridley over 50 receiving yards (-200)
With Jalen Ramsey expected to make his Los Angeles Rams debut this weekend, Calvin Ridley should see an increased target workload. Ridley is averaging 57.2 receiving yards per game, but has cleared the 50-yard mark in just three of his six contests. There is some risk here based on the juice, but the projected game script and opponent personnel suggests he should easily top 50 yards receiving in Week 7. Ridley has averaged 68.5 receiving yards in his home contests this season.

Austin Hooper over 50 receiving yards (-286)
There is also an over 75 receiving yards line available for +100. Hooper has failed to clear 50 yards receiving just once on the season. He has recorded under 75 yards in three out of his six contests. While -286 is nothing to get excited about, the win probability dictates that there is some inherent value in this line. A little line shopping confirms that -286 on over 50 receiving yards at PointsBet is an outstanding line. Hooper getting over 52 receiving yards is offered at -625 elsewhere. The best player props will often have odds north of -180. This is one of them. 

Atlanta Falcons +9.5/Under 60.5 points teaser (-110)
Atlanta has one of the worst defenses in the league from a points-per-game perspective. They have allowed 31 points per contest on the season, but just 22 a contest at home. Jared Goff has been struggling as of late and the team may be without Todd Gurley again since he is dealing with a quad issue. The Rams have surrendered 25.7 points per contest, but just 23.3 on the road. This teaser has solid -110 odds at PointsBet and is worth a long hard look for those who may think handicapping this contest is too difficult a task. 

Bottom Line

The Los Angeles Rams should easily win this contest. The fact that we have to say “should” for the reigning NFC champs facing a 1-5 team is a cause for concern. While 70 percent of the public has placed wagers on the Rams, the point spreads movement from -4 to -3 suggest that the sharps and the majority of the money has come in on the Falcons. If Jared Goff collapses for the second straight week, this will be a straight-up win for the Falcons. If the above teaser card is not appealing, fade the public and punch the Falcons in at DraftKings for Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Pick: Atlanta Falcons +3 (-103)

Deposit $50 at PointsBet and get a free $100 bonus! >>

Check out our other NFL Sports Betting Guides for Week 7

Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts (-1)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals (+4)
Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants (-3)
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions (+2)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins (+9.5)
Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills (-16.5)
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans (-2.5)
New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears (-4)
Baltimore Ravens vs. Seattle Seahawks (-3)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys (-2.5)
New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (+9.5)

Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive, and follow him @FantasyContext.