Week 12 of our NFL Sunday Night Football preview series takes us to Los Angeles, where the Rams will host the Philadelphia Eagles. Bodog has the Rams at +2.5 point underdogs at the time of writing this article. Two teams with serious playoffs hopes, both fighting for the top spot in their division.
The Rams enter this one at 5-5, just 1 game back of the Cardinals for top spot in the NFC West. After being one of the worst defenses in the league for weeks, they are starting to make some improvements. Allowing an average of under 22 points per game over the last three, they have managed to climb the ranks to be the 23rd ranked overall defense over the entire season. While looking much better with the return of WR Cooper Kupp and WR Puka Nakua, the team still feels one piece short of a serious contender. Averaging 23 points a game over the last three isn’t going to cut it, especially with the offensive pieces they have at their disposal.
The Eagles may be the most slept on team in the league, coming into this game at 8-2. They have overthrown the Titans as the best overall ranked defense this season, allowing under 18 points per game, on average. Pair that with a top 5 offense, scoring an average of 25.9 points per game (and improving with 29.3 over the last 3). Their roster is deep and star studded on both sides of the ball, and appear to be the Lions biggest threat to come out of the NFC this year.
The Rams definitely have a shot in this one, but not on my slip. They rank in the bottom half of the league on both sides of the ball, going up against the best defense, and one of the best offenses.
Howe Fresh
Fresh Takes Sports Podcast