What Are the Odds? Washington Redskins vs St Louis Rams

The Washington Redskin are coming off an uneven game last week that some them win the time of possession battle, control the 1st half, and command a lead for the majority of the game.  That was followed up by the offense not scoring in the 2nd half, and the team allowing the Dolphins to score 17 unanswered points, including a no-touch punt return.  The Dolphins covered the 3 1/2 point spread with the help of the Jarvis Landry return TD.  They were also under the 43 1/2 O/U for the game, which puts my predictions at 2-2 for Week 1.

What are the odds for Sundays game vs the Rams?

St. Louis is currently favored by 3 points when they visit FedEx Field to face the Redskins on Sunday, per SportsBookReview. The over under for the game is set at 41 for now, which is slightly down from last week's 43 1/2 vs Miami.  The Redskins defense played a good game against Miami, and has the potential to keep the team close in games.  St. Louis's defense will also keep the score low in a lot of games which makes the under look like a decent bet here.  The total has gone under in 5 of the last 7 Redskins home games, and 7 of the last 10 times they have played the Rams.

The Rams came to FedEx Field last season and put up 24 points to the Redskins 0, for the shutout victory.  They also hurt then starting QB Colt McCoy, when he was blindsided by DE Robert Quinn.  The Rams were starting backup QB Shaun Hill at the time, but were still able to move the ball with 213 yards and 2 TDs through the air.

There is a new QB in town for St. Louis, and the Redskins are very familiar with him.  Nick Foles was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason and will be their starter for the forseeable future.  Foles started 24 over 3 seasons for the Eagles and was 2-2 against the Redskins. His last game against the Redskins featured an air battle with Kirk Cousins and a vicious hit from Redskins DE Chris Baker that lead to multiple fights.

In St Louis, Foles started his first game for his new team against the division-rival Seahawks last week and led them to an overtime victory with 297 yards, and 1 passing and 1 rushing TD. He also lost two fumbles, and was sacked twice. He was without two of his top RBs in Tre Mason, and 1st round draft pick Todd Gurley.  Both have practiced all week, and could play this week, with Mason the more likely to play of the two. Tavon Austin will be looking to repeat his special teams player of the week performance from last year.

For the second week in a row the Redskins new(ish) offensive line under new OL coach Bill Callahan will be tested with a talented defensive front.  The Rams have arguably the best defensive line in the NFL this year with Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald and Chris Long, along with LBs Akeem Ayers, James Laurinaitis, and Alec Ogletree. Last week vs Miami, the Skins young right side of the line performed much better than expected, with Ndamukong Suh effectively neutralized with two tackles. The line gave up one sack when Kory Lichtensteiger was bull rushed by a rookie, and Alfred Morris was able to get 121 yards on the ground.  They will need to do the same this week to keep Kirk Cousins upright, and allow the team two score more than 10 points.

Jordan Reed's quad injury is one to watch. He was limited in practice the past two days and was a big factor in Week 1, catching the team's only touchdown.  He has told reporters that he expects to play on Sunday, but with his injury history, that is far from guaranteed.  This game will depend on how well Kirk Cousins can move the offense against a stout defense. Alfred Morris will need to get the ball consistently, and Redskins WRs will have to step up in DeSean Jackson's absence.  The Defense needs to continue to get pressure and key 3rd down stops. The Rams running game is a big question mark going in, but Foles can move the sticks.  One of the biggest things that I will be dreading watching is special teams vs Tavon Austin.  He was unstoppable last year and a repeat performance will be the nail in the coffin.

Prediction: Rams 24 - Redskins 14

Bets: Rams -3, Under