The Los Angeles Rams will look to put up a stronger performance in Week 8 after getting threatened by the Detroit Lions last Sunday. Will they crush the Houston Texans and cover the spread? Or will the Texans keep it close enough to cash in the bets of their spread bettors?
The Rams managed to avoid an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 7, as they came away with a 28-19 home win. Detroit succeeded in making the game interesting for three quarters before the Rams blew out the Lions with 11 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. It was one of those games that shows that the superior team will always find a way to exploit the weakness of their weaker opponent. Speaking of lowly teams, the Rams will get another one to deal with this weekend in the form of the one-win Texans. Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ offense should be able to keep their scoring up against Houston’s defense that’s allowing 29.0 points per game. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have been terrific targets for Stafford downfield. The three power the Rams’ passing attack that’s third in the NFL with 301.7 yards per game.
The under is 6-1-1 in the Rams’ last eight games vs. a team with a sub-.500 record.
Seeing the Lions go toe to toe with the Rams in Week 7 for at least three quarters should give Houston an inspiration. The Lions even took a 10-0 lead by the end of the first period. Detroit tried almost every trick in the bag to get any kind of advantage in that game, so getting creative on offense is something the Texans could try. In their last game, the Texans absorbed a 31-5 road loss at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, a team that also beat the Rams. That could mean that it can’t get worse for Houston, but that of course depends more on how well Davis Mills plays. Mills had just 135 passing yards with zero touchdowns and no interceptions on 23/32 completions against the Cardinals. He’s had his moments this season, though, like his 312 passing-yard performance against the New England Patriots. The Texans’ defense has some bite, as they are sixth in the league in defensive interception rate.
The Texans are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring fewer than 15 points in their last game.
