The Falcons and Rams are coming off extraordinarily devasting Week 1 losses, but for much different reasons. Los Angeles was defeated handily by the Bills 31-10 in the NFL season opener. At no point did Sean McVay’s team look competent. On the contrary, Atlanta dominated in Week 1 but blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead to their division rival New Orleans Saints. In Week 2, the pair will square off in SoFi Stadium as the Rams open as 10.5-point favorites over the Falcons.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM via PFFÂ
| Spread | Total | Moneyline | |
| Falcons | +10.5 (-110) | O47.5(-115) | +400 |
| Rams | -10.5 (-110) | U47.5(-105) | -550 |
In losing to the Bills, the Rams suffered injuries to Brian Allen and Joseph Note along the offensive line. And though Allen won’t suit up this week, Noteboom should be healthy enough to play. LA failed to cover the spread in their loss to Buffalo despite being home underdogs. The reigning Super Bowl champions were embarrassed for the entire world to see; they have the rest advantage and are eager to take out their frustrations.
On the other hand, the Falcons were able to cover the +5.5-point spread as home underdogs despite giving up 17 unanswered points to the Saints. Atlanta surprised everyone (except for a few Falcons faithful, including me), but if you listened to my advice, you would’ve taken the Falcons to cover. However, the situation might not be as cut and dry as last week.
As stated before, the Rams are coming off an embarrassing outing in Week 1; they’ll be hungry to rectify that. As for the Falcons, they’re coming off an emotional loss and will have to travel across the country on significantly less rest than their opponents, hence the largest spread of Week 2. The Rams have some serious concerns on offense, as the line and Matthew Stafford look to find their groove and silence the naysayers. On the flip side, the Falcons will look to prove the product they put on the field in the first half was no fluke.
I don’t feel nearly as confident in this matchup as I did the week prior, but if I had to place a wager, I believe the Falcons will cover once again. The Rams’ offensive line is a real sore spot, and Atlanta proved capable of stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback against New Orleans.
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Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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