Oakland makes the short journey down to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in a Week 2 preseason matchup. The game, which will take place on Saturday, Aug. 18 at 4 p.m. ET, will be televised on on NFL Network.
Odds
Raiders +2.5, 42.5
Rams -2.5, 42.5
Raiders at Rams analysis
Los Angeles is looking to rebound from an abysmal performance in its first preseason game, a game it lost, 33-7, against the Baltimore Ravens. The good news for the Rams is that it was almost entirely backups who saw the field. Of course, that means the depth might be a concern for the team since they struggled on both sides of the ball. Considering backups typically play a lot in Week 2, last week’s performance may give gamblers some pause before laying money on the Rams.
Backup quarterback Sean Mannion struggled mightily at quarterback as he completed only 3 of 13 passes for 16 yards and an interception. The Rams need to find someone to play behind Jared Goff, and it might be Brandon Allen.
Oakland defeated Detroit 16-10 in its preseason opener. Starting quarterback Derek Carr played one series, and it was surprising to see so many starters on the field for the Raiders. Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant both saw some reps at receiver. Will Jon Gruden play his starters for more extended reps? If so, it could be a good sign for those looking to bet on the underdog.
Gruden has a pretty good track record against the spread in the preseason. He is 26-21-4 as a head coach against the spread. His teams have gone under the total more often than not as the under is 28-23 during his preseason coaching career.
Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay is 2-3 ATS as a head coach in the preseason. The under is 3-1-1 during McVay’s tenure with the Rams.
Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Rams Pick
After playing so poorly in the preseason opener, expect the Rams to play much harder against the Raiders. Los Angeles is expected to be a Super Bowl contender, and McVay certainly wasn’t pleased with what he saw from his backups.
More starters will be in the mix for both teams. Gruden already played starters in Week 1 for Oakland, and Derek Carr will need more reps with his mostly new receiving corps. Fans should see a few series worth of starters versus starters before the backups start playing.
The Rams are 6-15 in their last 21 games in the preseason, including last week’s blowout loss at Baltimore. They are also 2-11-1 ATS in their last 14 games in the preseason. As a favorite, the Rams are 2-5 straight up and 0-8-1 ATS in the preseason.
In the Rams’ last three games as a preseason favorite, the total has gone over. On the other hand, the total has gone under in three of Oakland’s last four preseason games as an underdog.
Oakland is 1-7 straight up and 1-7 ATS in its last eight preseason games. The win over Detroit was Oakland’s first in eight games. The over has hit in seven of the Raiders’ last 11 preseason games.
Preseason games don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. However, it would be surprising if the Rams didn’t perform better in the second week of the preseason.
Straight up pick: Rams 23, Raiders 17
ATS pick: Rams -2.5
Total: Under 42.5
