Panthers vs. Rams: Week 6 Betting Preview & Predictions

by | 12 October 2022

The 2-3-0 Los Angeles Rams host the 1-4-0 Carolina Panthers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rams have a point spread of -10½ with a money line of -470. The over/under total on the game is currently set at 41 points.

Carolina Panthers Los Angeles Rams

Carolina Panthers (+10.5)

Record: 1-4-0
Points Per Game: 18.6
Points Allowed Per Game: 24.4

Los Angeles Rams (-10½)

Record: 2-3-0
Points Per Game: 16
Points Allowed Per Game: 23.2

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 2-3-0 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 5 games and thrown for 1323 yards with a completion percentage of 69.8 percent. Matthew Stafford has thrown 5 touchdowns despite 7 interceptions and has a QB Rating of 82.4.

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 49 receptions to date on 64 targets, a catch percentage of 76.6%, for a total of 527 yards. Cooper Kupp is averaging 10.8 yards per catch with 4 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 51 carries and rushed for 151 yards thus far this season. His yards per game currently sits at 30.2 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 -12.4%, per FootballOutsiders. The passing game ranks at number 15 with a Passing DVOA of 0.1%. The running game has a Rush DVOA of -2.8%, ranking #25 in the league. This season they have a Red Zone success rate of 0.4 with 6 Red Zone touchdowns in 15 attempts.

Los Angeles Rams Defense/Special Teams:

On the defensive end, the Rams have a Defense DVOA of -3.0%, ranking 10 in the league. Specifically against the pass they rank #9 at -3.7% and they’ll need them to show up against P.J. Walker. The Sean McVay-led team has a Defense against the rush DVOA of -3.7%, #17 out of thirty two teams.

Their kicker is Matt Gay who has made 8 of 9 field goals this season, a 88.9% 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.

Carolina Panthers Offense:

The Panthers are on the road for this one. Matt Rhule’s squad is 1-4-0 this season after going 5-12 last year. He has been at the helm since 2020 and is looking to grab a road win here. The Carolina Panthers have a betting line of +10.5 or you could bet them straight up at +380.

27-year-old P.J. Walker will be under center for this one. He entered the league in 2017 after playing his college days at Temple. P.J. Walker has a quarterback rating of 108.3 on 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He’s started 0 games and thrown for 60yards, a completion percentage of 83.3.

Christian McCaffrey is the lead back for the Panthers running game. The 26-year-old has taken 72 carries and rushed for 324 yards this season. His yards per game currently sits at 64.8 YPG and he has scored 2 touchdowns with 0 fumbles.

On the passing front, P.J. Walker will look to target D.J. Moore against the Matt Rhule defense. D.J. Moore has 1 touchdowns thus far this season and his team will be looking for more here. On the year, he’s been targeted 37 times and made 17 catches for 197 yards. D.J. Moore has a catch percentage of 45.9% and his yards per reception is 11.6.

According to FootballOutsiders, the Carolina Panthers offense has a Defense-adjusted Value Over Average of -22.1% which ranks at number 31 out of thirty two teams. The Passing DVOA is -13.3%, the number 30 ranked pass offense in the league. When running the ball, their Rush DVOA ranks at 31 with a Rush DVOA total of -29.9%.

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 12 attempts, a Red Zone percentage of 0.417.

Carolina Panthers Defense/Special Teams:

The team will be looking for touchdowns, but they have Eddy Pineiro to knock down field goals if needed. His season long is a 54 yarder which is always helpful on the road. Eddy Pineiro has made 11 field goals on 54 attempts, a field goal percentage of 91.7%.

The advanced stats from Football Outsiders have the Panthers with a Defensive DVOA of 4.0% which ranks at 17/32 in the NFL. They are a different team against the run and the pass though.

Against the pass they rank at #9 out of 32 teams with a Pass DVOA of -3.7%. Comparatively, the run defense has a 2.6% DVOA which ranks at #17.

Key Match-ups:

  • Matthew Stafford QB Rating of 82.4 vs. Carolina Panthers Pass DVOA Defense of -13.3%
    The Panthers have 3 interceptions this year and 8 sacks. They are allowing 24.4 points per game.
  • Cam Akers vs. Carolina Panthers number 31 ranked DVOA Rush Defense
    Opponents are averaging 4.3 yards per carry against the the Carolina Panthers and 137.8 per game.
  • P.J. Walker QB Rating of 108.3 vs. Los Angeles Rams #9 ranked DVOA Pass Defense
    The Rams defense has allowed 23.2 points per game thus far this season. They have sacked the quarterback 10 times and picked him off 4 times.
  • Christian McCaffrey vs. Los Angeles Rams 9.4% DVOA Rush Defense
    The Rams are giving up 106.4 YPG on 4.1 per carry thus far this season.

Panthers/Rams Bettting Stats:

Panthers Against the spread: 1-3-0
Panthers Over/Under: 1-3-0

Rams Against the spread: 1-3-0
Rams Over/Under: 1-3-0

The best bet is Carolina Panthers +10.5 and Under 41.