In a battle of Los Angeles franchises, the Rams take on the Chargers in week 2 of the NFL preseason on Saturday night in SoFi Stadium from Inglewood, California. They kick it off at 7:05 pm for this west coast clash. Both teams have some pretty lofty expectations heading into the 2024 regular season.
The Rams are a veteran team, and they know the preseason does not mean much when it comes to the regular season. They are also an older team, so players who do get to sit and rest during the preseason relish the break.
The Rams are also a team that better hope they do not have to rely on their backup QB to take serious reps because Stetson Benett was horrible Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. The 26-year-old signal caller threw four interceptions and ended just 24-of-38 for 224 yards with an average toss of 5.9 yards. The Rams are 13-12 despite his rocky performance.
Matthew Stafford is the franchise quarterback and has made a point of saying he would like to play for a couple more seasons. The Rams are a team built to win now, and they are looking for Stafford to put up some big numbers in the regular season but only get a few reps during preseason. With Benett under center against the Chargers, do not expect a ton of offense, and look for the offensive unit to have some issues moving the ball.
The total in this one is 34, and we might get a 13-10 type of game. We do not expect the Rams to move the ball successfully.
The Chargers know this has to be the season they break through. They have a new Head Coach, a franchise QB, and tons of weapons. So, if not now, when?
Los Angeles had a ton of ups and downs in their first preseason game, and the defense was solid. They gave up 300-plus yards against the Seattle Seahawks but were also on the field for an incredible 79 plays. The offense, on the other hand, struggled a ton; they. They managed just 15 yards on their first 13 plays of the game.
They also mustered just 71 yards on 25 total plays and ended with just under 200 yards of offense in the 16-3 loss. They need the backups to pick it up with franchise QB Justin Herbert dealing with a plantar fascia injury. They only netted 20 yards a game last season while giving up 23.
Look for the defense to turn over Rams quarterbacks and, with a short field, convert some field goals in a low-scoring battle.
The Rams were 11-6-1 against the spread in 2023, while the Chargers were a brutal 6-11 against the number. The Rams are +330 to win the NFC West, and their win total for 2024 sits at a tough 8 1/2, which is always a tricky number. That suggests they will be good but not great, and they may be a win or two late to hit the over. The Chargers are in a stacked AFC West, and their odds to win the division are +300, while the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs are the clear favorite at -200. The Charger's win total for 2024 is 8 1/2-- a tricky number.
