Jeff Fisher came in and turned a 2-14 team into a 7-8-1 squad which finished 3rd in the tough NFC West division. Not only did they crush some impressive teams, they delivered an equally impressive record for bettors, going 11-5 ATS – tied for best ATS mark in football last year.
The Rams’ marked improvement came at the expense of Super Bowl contenders too; they were 1-0-1 SU and 2-0 ATS against San Francisco; 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS against Seattle; plus 4-1-1 SU and a perfect 6-0 ATS vs. the NFC West. The Rams’ progress was a parallel to Sam Bradford’s own development. The third-year quarterback produced 3,702 yards and 21 touchdowns– career-highs on both categories.
Will the Rams continue to improve this year without face-of-the-franchise Steven Jackson? They open the 2013 season with a match-up against the Arizona Cardinals and are favored by 5.5 points in Week 1. While all attention is on the 49ers and Seahawks, can the Rams sneak into a wildcard position or even win the division? St. Louis is priced at +800 to pull off the upset in winning the NFC West and their 2014 Super Bowl odds of winning are priced at +5000.
Key Betting matchups of 2013 NFL Season:
Any game vs. NFC West: Rams are 6-0 ATS in divisional games.
St. Louis Rams bettors should pay attention to:
– Jared Cook, the new starting tight end for the Rams whom they snatched in free agency with a 5-year contract worth over $30M.
