by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Dec 19, 2023
Game Time: 8:15 pm ET, Thursday, December 21, 2023
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Saints +4, Rams -4; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Saints +4, Rams -4; Over/Under: 44.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Saints +4, Rams -4; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Season Record
New Orleans Saints: 7-7 (2nd place, NFC South)
Los Angeles Rams: 7-7 (2nd place, NFC West)
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Recent Form
New Orleans Saints: won their last game at home against the New York Giants 24-6.
Los Angeles Rams: won their last game at home against the Washington Commanders 28-20.
New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams Preview and Analysis
The Saints are entering this game with a 7-7 record overall and they have a 2-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-3 in their home games, 3-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the New York Giants 24-6. Derek Carr was the starting QB and he completed 23/28 passes for 218 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Alvin Kamara led the team in rushing yards with 66. Alvin Kamara led the receivers with 44 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Demario Davis led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Tanoh Kpassagnon led the defense in sacks with 3. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
The Rams are entering this game with a 7-7 record overall and they have a 4-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 4-3 in their home games, 3-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Washington Commanders 28-20. Matthew Stafford was the starting QB and he completed 25/33 passes for 258 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Kyren Williams led the team in rushing yards with 152 and 1 TD. Cooper Kupp led the receivers with 111 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 1 TD. Quentin Lake and Christian Rozeboom each led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Ernest Jones IV led the defense in sacks with 1. John Johnson III came away with the only interception for them in that game.
Saints vs Rams Prediction
The current betting odds have the Saints listed as a 4 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Saints haven't looked great this season with their 7-7 record overall but that record has them right in the Wild Card race for the NFC along with still having a chance to win the NFC South. They have looked a lot better in their last 2 games as they have beaten up on some bad teams and they are going to carry over that momentum here as every game is a must win now. Meanwhile, the Rams haven't looked great this season either but they are also 7-7 overall and right in the conversation for the NFC Wild Card too. They have looked a lot better in their games lately too with their offense starting to put up more points and they are in the same situation as the Saints with every game being a must win. Both of these teams are going to be fighting hard to win this game and keep their playoff hopes alive and with the way both offenses have been starting to click lately, this is going to be a really close game that is settled by a field goal either way. The best way to place a bet here is on the Saints to cover the spread in this game.
Saints Rams Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Thursday, December 21, 2023 (8:15 pm ET start time) is Rams 23 Saints 20.
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NFL Betting Trends
New Orleans Saints: 37-22 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points. 17-9 ATS after 2 straight wins by 14 or more points. 10-4 UNDER in all games. 15-7 UNDER as an underdog. 16-8 UNDER in road games. 14-5 UNDER off 2 or more consecutive unders.
Los Angeles Rams: 5-10 ATS as a home favorite of 7 points or less. 25-45 ATS in a home game where the total is between 42.5 and 45 points. 9-5 UNDER in a home game where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points. 7-3 UNDER as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points.
Key Injuries
New Orleans Saints: C. Jordan (DE) Ques Thurs - Ankle. C. Granderson (DE) Ques Thurs - Shoulder. R. Ramczyk (OT) Ques Thurs - Knee. L. Johnson Jr. (CB) Ques Thurs - Knee. P. Turner (DE) Ques Thurs - Toe. I. Foskey (DE) Ques Thurs - Quadricep. N. Saldiveri (OL) Ques Thurs - Shoulder. C. Olave (WR) Ques Thurs - Ankle. K. Miller (RB) Out indefinitely - Ankle. M. Roach (DL) Out indefinitely - Knee. M. Maye (S) Out indefinitely - Shoulder. M. Lattimore (CB) Out indefinitely - Ankle. M. Thomas (WR) Out indefinitely - Knee. E. Benjamin (RB) I-R - Achilles. A. Dowell (LB) I-R - Knee. T. Turner (G) I-R - Quadricep.
Los Angeles Rams: A. Witherspoon (DB) Ques Thurs - Groin. T. Tomlinson (DB) Ques Thurs - Hamstring. J. Noteboom (OL) Ques Thurs - Foot. T. Atwell (WR) Prob Thurs - Concussion. R. Havenstein (OL) Ques Thurs - Groin. A. Ward (LS) Out indefinitely - Neck. H. Long (TE) I-R - Knee. R. Rivers (RB) Late Dec - Knee. D. Shelley (DB) Out indefinitely - Hamstring. S. Bennett (QB) Out indefinitely - Illness.
Notable Quotes
“My personal opinion, but I thought he played really good in this game. Just like with everything else, when you play that position you're going to get your fair share of criticism and when somebody plays really good I think we need to make sure we recognize that he played well.” - Dennis Allen on Derek Carr after his team’s win against the Giants in their last game.
“Unless you told me the season ended right now, it doesn’t mean anything to me. How we move forward and how we handle our business over the next 72 hours and then leading into the game on Thursday is what’s most important.” - Sean McVay after his team’s win against the Commanders in their last game.
Starting Lineups
New Orleans Saints
WR Perry, A.T.
WR Olave, Chris
WR Shaheed, Rashid
TE Johnson, Juwan
QB Carr, Derek
RB Kamara, Alvin
FB Prentice, Adam
Los Angeles Rams
WR Robinson, Demarcus
WR Nacua, Puka
WR Kupp, Cooper
TE Higbee, Tyler
QB Stafford, Matthew
RB Williams, Kyren
Statistical Leaders
New Orleans Saints
Passing: D. Carr (3098)
Rushing: A. Kamara (630)
Receiving: C. Olave (918)
Touchdowns: A. Kamara (6)
Los Angeles Rams
Passing: M. Stafford (3320)
Rushing: K. Williams (953)
Receiving: P. Nacua (1163)
Touchdowns: K. Williams (11)
Coaches:
New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen (2nd season)
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (7th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
