Despite a Super Bowl ring and the bulk of the Los Angeles Rams’ standouts returning (including head coach Sean McVay), oddsmakers are lukewarm on L.A. in 2022.
Los Angeles isn’t an instant frontrunner to repeat, sitting behind three clubs on the Super Bowl futures board and tied with another as the fourth overall choice to become the first repeat Big Game champ since 2004.
Bettors seem a little blasé on the Rams as well, fading Los Angeles from a 1-point home favorite vs. Buffalo (the Super Bowl favorite) in the season opener to as far as +2.5 for this huge Thursday nighter.
And it’s not just Week 1 where we see movement away from the Rams. The opening lookahead lines had Los Angeles as a favorite in as many as 13 games. Now, those markets have the Rams giving points in as few as 11 outings.
Are McVay and L.A. built Ram tough in 2022 or will the Rams be sheepish for bettors? Find out in our Los Angeles Rams NFL betting preview.
Los Angeles Rams futures odds
| To win Super Bowl | +1,000 |
| To win conference | +450 |
| To win division | +125 |
| Season Win Total O/U | 10.5 (Over -110) |
| To Make Playoffs | Yes -250 / No +210 |
Best futures bet: Under 10.5 wins (-110)
The latest lookahead lines, which reflect the market moves and slimming sentiment for the defending champs, have the Rams as point spread favorites in just 11 games — vs. some numbers which had L.A. in line to win 13 games.
Even with a home-friendly slate to open the year and a legit shot of sweeping Arizona and Seattle in divisional play, pegging Los Angeles for 11+ wins is tough on the nerves. The back half of the calendar features rough road games and playoff contenders, with a pair of NFC West dustups against Seattle serving as respite.
In fact, win No. 11 may come down to a road trip to end the year: At the Seahawks. And if the Rams are locked into a postseason position before Week 18, don’t expect to see McVay march out his starters in the finale.
Los Angeles Rams betting overview
What will win bets: Defense
As long as you have Aaron Donald wreaking havoc up front and Jalen Ramsey locking down the secondary, you have a chance to cover spreads.
The Rams’ defense was the backbone of the Super Bowl run and truthfully the entire season. As the wheels wobbled on the offense in 2021, Los Angeles’ stop unit kept the team competitive and checked foes to 17 points or less in five of the eight ATS victories during the regular season.
Donald remains the NFL’s premier defender, aided by Leonard Floyd and new addition Bobby Wagner in the front seven. Ramsey doesn’t have as deep a complementing staff around him in the secondary but as long as L.A. continues to stuff the run and plague passers (third in sacks/T3 in INTs in 2021), this team has a shot at winning every game.
What will lose bets: Super Bowl slump
The Rams were criticized for mortgaging their future to land big-name stars, a risky move that paid off. Los Angeles got to say “I told you so” by winning the Lombardi Trophy on its own turf, but could that leave L.A. vulnerable to a Super Bowl slump?
Defending champs aren’t great bets to begin with. Despite often ranking among the stronger teams, they’re just 98-89-5 against the spread the following season (52%) since 2010. Only four of those Big Game winners covered more than nine games the next year.
Not only are those reigning champions getting everyone’s best shot, but also face ballooning point spreads week after week as the public holds them in high regard.
The 2022 Rams have all that coming their way as well as a schedule that ranks out as the toughest slate of games this season. Things get especially steep after the bye in Week 7 with wave after wave of contenders and six of the closing 10 games coming on the road (well, one “road” game is against the Bolts).
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Los Angeles Rams game-by-game odds
As mentioned above, the lookahead lines vary for Los Angeles in 2022. When the schedule was released and spreads hit the board, L.A. was the chalk in 13 games with one pick’em on the board. However, as the Week 1 spread jumped the fence from -1 to +2.5, later lookahead lines took a tempered approach to the Rams.
Los Angeles’ schedule is a beast but it’s a little tamer up front, with the Rams playing only two games away from home in the first two months of action, and those are short hops to Arizona and San Francisco. The home-field value of SoFi Stadium is worth about as much as your crypto portfolio but perhaps after winning the Super Bowl, L.A. sports fans can give the Rams the time of day in 2022.
McVay & Co. are underdogs in as many as six games, depending on where you bet (PK or underdog in matchups with Green Bay and L.A. Chargers). The Rams went 3-0 straight up and ATS as rare pups in 2021 (including winning +2.5 at Tampa in playoffs) and are 11-8 ATS when getting points under McVay (since 2017).
| 1 | vs. Buffalo | +2.5 | 52.5 |
| 2 | vs. Atlanta | -13.5 | 48.5 |
| 3 | @ Arizona | -2 | 50.5 |
| 4 | @ San Francisco | +1.5 | 49 |
| 5 | vs. Dallas | -3.5 | 51.5 |
| 6 | vs. Carolina | -10 | 46.5 |
| 7 | BYE | ||
| 8 | vs. San Francisco | -3.5 | 47.5 |
| 9 | @ Tampa Bay | +2.5 | 51.5 |
| 10 | vs. Arizona | -5.5 | 51 |
| 11 | @ New Orleans | -3 | 48 |
| 12 | @ Kansas City | +3 | 52 |
| 13 | vs. Seattle | -10.5 | 47.5 |
| 14 | vs. Las Vegas | -6.5 | 51 |
| 15 | @ Green Bay | +2.5 | 50 |
| 16 | vs. Denver | -3.5 | 47.5 |
| 17 | @ L.A. Chargers | PK | 51 |
| 18 | @ Seattle | -5.5 | 43.5 |
Los Angeles Rams pro betting insights
Hitman, professional bettor (@Hitman428)
I love Allen Robinson Overs, and this is coming from someone who rarely ever bets season long Overs. The Rams have little depth, so as long as they avoid injuries, They should have another 10-12 win season.
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