The Game:
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams (from London, England)
The Play:
ADJUSTED LINE: RAMS -12.5 (-115)
After three straight losses, the Los Angeles Rams got exactly what they needed last week with a blowout win versus the hapless Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Jared Goff had three total touchdowns and running back Todd Gurley had 19 total touches, plus he also found the endzone on a great catch. The Rams are now 9th in the league in passing and Goff is coming off a game where he found four different receivers for at least 50 yards. This week they cross “the pond” to play the Cincinnati Bengals in London.
This is a game where the Rams are going to not just jump out early, but they are going to be dominating; I think they will be winning by three touchdowns by halftime. When the Rams get back home after their bye week they have to play on the east coast versus Pittsburgh and then three of their next four games are at night, so they are going to want to put this game out of reach early in order to get as much rest as possible.
The bungling Bengals are 0-7 with not much, well, “help” in sight. On offense they are 27th in total yards and dead last in rushing. The Bengals have zero rushing touchdowns through the first seven weeks from their running back Joe Mixon while QB Andy Dalton has three plunges of his own. Mixon leads the team in rushing with only 254 yards and is averaging just three yards a carry. On defense, Cincinnati is last in the league in rush defense (allowing 189 yards per game) and in total yards against (431 yards per game), which is exactly what Gurley and the Rams need. The Bengals pass rush and secondary are also not getting the job done; they have just eight sacks and one interception this season.
On the other hand, Rams linebacker Clay Matthews has six sacks in five games played and fellow linebacker Cory Littleton leads Los Angeles in total tackles with 58, to go along with two interceptions and a forced fumble. Those two pro bowlers and the rest of the Rams defense will be licking their proverbial chops when they face the Bengals offense, which I might remind you is still without star wide receiver A.J. Green.
Prediction:
RAMS 44
BENGALS 23
