The 2-2-0 Los Angeles Rams host the 3-1-0 Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rams have a point spread of -4 with a money line of -205. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 43½ points.
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Dallas Cowboys (4)Record: 3-1-0 |
Los Angeles Rams (-4)Record: 2-2-0 |
Los Angeles Rams Offense:
The Rams are coached by Sean McVay who has been with the team since 2017. They have a current season record of 2-2-0 after going 12-5 last season. All coaches want big games from their offense and certainly Sean McVay is no different.
Matthew Stafford is the quarterback for the Rams. The 34-year-old Georgia alum entered the league in 2009 and is looking for a win in front of the home crowd here. Thus far this season he has started 4 games and thrown for 1015 yards with a completion percentage of 70.7 percent. Matthew Stafford has thrown 4 touchdowns despite 6 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 81.4.
His main target will be Cooper Kupp. The home crowd would especially love to see some fireworks from the 29-year-old target. He has made 42 receptions to date on 54 targets, a catch percentage of 77.8%, for a total of 402 yards. Cooper Kupp is averaging 9.6 yards per catch with 3 touchdowns thus far. Matthew Stafford will be looking to connect with him for more here.
The Rams running game is lead by the 23-year-old Cam Akers. A big game from him could be the key to controlling the clock here. He’s taken 38 carries and rushed for 118 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 29.5 YPG, a number that you know Sean McVay would love to see him exceed in this game. Cam Akers has 1 touchdowns this season and 1 fumbles.
Overall, the Los Angeles Rams offense ranks 26 out of 32 teams in Offense DVOA at -10.5%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 13 with a Passing DVOA of 1.7%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of -0.9%, ranking #22 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.462 with 6 Red Zone touchdowns in 13 attempts.
Los Angeles Rams Defense/Special Teams:
On the defensive end, the Rams have a Defense DVOA of 3.0%, ranking 18 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #11 at -2.0% and they’ll need them to show up against Cooper Rush. The Sean McVay-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of -2.0%, #25 out of thirty two teams.
Their kicker is Matt Gay who has made 7 of 7 field goals this season, a 100.0% field goal percentage, with a long of 57 yards. The Los Angeles Rams fans don’t want to see him too much, but it’s good to know he can hit another one if needed.
Dallas Cowboys Offense:
The Cowboys are on the road for this one. Mike McCarthy’s squad is 3-1-0 this season after going 12-5 last year. He has been at the helm since 2020 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Dallas Cowboys have a betting line of 4 or you could bet them straight up at 175.
29-year-old Cooper Rush will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2017 after playing his college days at Central Michigan University. Cooper Rush has a quarterback rating of 95.9 on 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He’s started 3 games and thrown for 737yards, a completion percentage of 60.8.
Ezekiel Elliott is the lead back for the Cowboys running game. The 27-year-old has taken 59 carries and rushed for 227 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 56.8 YPG and he has scored 1 touchdowns with 0 fumbles.
On the passing front, Cooper Rush will look to target CeeDee Lamb against the Mike McCarthy defense. CeeDee Lamb has 2 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 42 times and made 23 catches for 288 yards. CeeDee Lamb has a catch percentage of 54.8% and his yards per reception is 12.5.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Dallas Cowboys offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of 0.7% which ranks at number 17 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -3.1%, the number 23 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 13 with a Rush DVOA total of 19.2%.
If they hope to win on the road, they’ll need to do well in the Red Zone. For the year, they have scored 5 Red Zone touchdowns on 9 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.556.
Dallas Cowboys Defense/Special Teams:
The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Brett Maher to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 54 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Brett Maher has made 10 field goals on 54 attempts, a field goal percentage of 90.9%.
The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Cowboys with a Defensive DVOA of -15.3% which ranks at 5/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.
Against the pass they rank at #11 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of -2.0%. Comparatively, the run defense has a -6.2% DVOA which ranks at #25.
Key Match-ups:
- Matthew Stafford QB Rating of 81.4 vs. Dallas Cowboys Pass DVOA Defense of -3.1%
The Cowboys have 4 interceptions this year and 15 sacks. They are allowing 15.5 points per game. - Cam Akers vs. Dallas Cowboys number 13 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
Opponents are averaging 5 yards per carry against the the Dallas Cowboys and 137.5 per game. - Cooper Rush QB Rating of 95.9 vs. Los Angeles Rams #11 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
The Rams defense has allowed 23.5 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 7 times and picked him off 4 times. - Ezekiel Elliott vs. Los Angeles Rams 21.8% DVOA Rush Defense
The Rams are giving up 92.3 YPG on 3.9 per carry thus far this season.
Cowboys/Rams Bettting Stats:
Cowboys Against the spread: 3-1-0
Cowboys Over/Under: 1-3-0
Rams Against the spread: 1-3-0
Rams Over/Under: 1-3-0
The best bet is Dallas Cowboys 4 and Under 43½.