Los Angeles Rams (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS)
Week 5 NFL
Date/Time: Thursday Night Football, October 3, 2019 at 8:20PM EDT
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
TV: Fox/NFL
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: LAR pk/SEA pk
Over/Under Total: 49
On Thursday Night Football, the Los Angeles Rams come up to CenturyLink Field for a week five NFC West showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams had very different experiences last week. The Seahawks were able to grind their way to a 27-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals to go to 3-1 and start off division-play with a victory. They now return home to face a Rams' team that was shocked at home, 55-40, by the Buccaneers, losing their first game of the season. Expect an irritated Rams' team at Seattle this week, but the Seahawks have shown they can hang in there with this latest incarnation of the Rams.
Looking at last season's results can often times provide a faulty road-map. But within a division setting, it can be helpful. Seattle lost both games against the Rams last season, however they covered the spread both times, losing 33-31 at home before putting up a good fight in the Coliseum with a 36-31 loss. Both offenses in those games thrived, while the “D” of each squad was pushed to its limits. For the Rams, Jared Goff threw for 300 yards in both games last season, connecting well with a cast of receivers that is even more varied this season, facing a Seahawks secondary that has struggled to find its footing at times this season. But on behalf of Seattle, Russell Wilson threw 3 TDs in each game with no picks, while riding his running backs. Last season, Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and even Wilson had major success on the ground against this Rams' defense.
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Seattle matched up well with the Rams' defense last season. Their approach was varied, with a nice dose of both the pass and the run to keep the Rams off-balance. With Wilson sharp again this season, I'd look for more of the same. The Rams, for all their firepower on defense, can be exploited on the ground—not all the time, but in the right spots. And against Seattle both times last season were the right spots for the Seahawks. On Sunday, with seven of their points coming on a defensive score, the 20-point output by the Seattle offense against that Cardinals' defense wasn't awe-inspiring. Wilson was decent, connecting with various guys, with Will Dissly hauling in a TD. But the receiver crew is pretty so-so. Tyler Lockett is a nice weapon to have for sure, but when compared to the guys on the other sideline, it's a thin cast. But last season, the Seahawks got far with the run-game, with Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and CJ Prosise, along with Wilson himself. We'll see how this O-line does against a Rams' defensive-line looking to establish some better momentum.
Seattle got a big injection of big playmaking on Sunday with the Jadaveon Clowney trade paying off with a pick-six that broke the game open a bit early against the Cardinals. Last season, this defense couldn't really thrive against the Rams and a good showing against Arizona doesn't cure all their ailments, but they're heading in the right direction. That line with Clowney starting to get in his rhythm is a real asset. They're robust in the middle and look to do better against Gurley this season.
For all their troubles on defense against Seattle last season, the Rams still won both games. With the Rams riding a powerful offense, the Seahawks had a lot of trouble stopping this bunch. Goff really had two of his better games of the season against this team. Running back Todd Gurley also ran it really well against Seattle, with 120 yards in the first game with a TD and three TDs in the second game. It's worth mentioning, however, that those types of showings from Gurley have become less-frequent. Brandin Cooks really shined against the Seattle secondary with a lot of big catches in both contests. They are even deeper in that area, with Cooper Kupp returning and already shining in this offense. Goff, playing from behind on Sunday, threw for 517 yards, with Kupp and Robert Woods having a lot of aerial production. But with three picks and a costly fumble that was returned for a TD as the Rams were driving for a possible tie, Goff had one of his worst games other than the prolific yardage.
On one hand, the Rams' defense flexed its playmaking ability on Sunday with Marcus Peters taking a pick back to the house. And they had a good day from Clay Matthews, who has done pretty well in spots in this defense. It's just that going to Seattle to face an offense that did well against them twice is daunting enough. When it comes four days after giving up 55 points to Tampa, it's a cause some for some legitimate concern. But I wouldn't overly bank on another abysmal showing. Not many teams, even ones that make deep playoff runs, go an entire season without ever having a freakishly out-of-range game.
I think it would have served Seattle's purposes better had the Rams gone ahead and done as expected and beat the Bucs last Sunday. Organization-wide, the urge will be to rectify the wrongs of week four and play in a manner more befitting a defending conference champion. The Seahawks have some interesting new pieces in place that could turn this in their favor, but I see this shaking out for the Rams, as they nose the Seahawks at the wire.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Los Angeles Rams in a pick-'em. Bet this game for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% sign-up bonus o
