Rams vs. Pathers Total Prediction
The Rams will begin their defense of their NFC crown on Sunday when they visit the Panthers at 1:00 p.m. ET in Charlotte. Wil their be enough offense generated by both teams to cover the over?
Game Snapshot
467 Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) at 468 Carolina Panthers (+2.5); 50
1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 8
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Public Betting Trends
According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Rams are receiving 66% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are using the “veteran plan” to limit Todd Gurley’s reps this training camp. That means Gurley won’t play in preseason games and will receive multiple practices off. When he suited up yesterday, Gurley “looked good” but he did take more reps off than usual. With Gurley’s knee acting up late last year, the Rams are taking a cautious approach with their All-Pro running back, allowing rookie Darrell Henderson to get more reps with the first-team offense. Gurley remains a risky pick in the second round of fantasy drafts, but he’d be a massive bargain if his knee holds up in 2019.
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton was not listed on the Panthers’ official injury report for Week 1. Newton was always expected to suit up for Carolina’s season opener, but avoiding the team’s injury report altogether is a terrific sign he’ll have no limitations immediately out of the gates. He’s a locked-in QB1 for what’s currently slated as the second-highest total of the weekend.
NFL Betting Trends
Los Angeles
The over is 6-2 in the Rams’ last eight games played in the month of September.
Carolina
The over is 5-2 in the Panthers’ last seven home games.
Prediction
This total feels high. Who knows what the Panthers will get out of Cam Newton, who dealt with a debilitating shoulder injury at the end of last season and a foot injury in preseason this year. Even when Newton is healthy, the passing game for Carolina remains inconsistent. Meanwhile, the Panthers added Gerald McCoy and Bruce Irvin to a defensive line that features Kawann Short and Mario Addison. Meanwhile, nobody knows what to make of Gurley in L.A. Despite what he and the Rams claimed, he clearly wasn’t healthy in the playoffs or else L.A. would have leaned on him as it has done since Sean McVay has taken over as head coach and play-caller. Without Gurley, we saw what the Rams did in the Super Bowl when they laid an egg. The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these two teams and I like it in this matchup on Sunday.
NFL Week 1 Prediction: Rams/Panthers UNDER 50