Falcons at Rams: Game preview, odds, prediction

In a game that should be over fairly quickly, the Atlanta Falcons will travel west to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

In a game that could prove to be the laugher of the weekend, the Atlanta Falcons will take on the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC matchup. The Falcons have one of the better offenses in the league, as quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones are two of the best in the business statistically. The Rams are atrocious on offense, and will be sending out a quarterback making his fourth NFL start.

That man is Jared Goff, whom the team selected with the first overall selection in last April’s draft. Goff has played well in spurts for the Rams, even throwing three touchdowns inside the Superdome a few weeks back. However, he came back down to earth against the New England Patriots, and has already been sacked eight times during his first three starts.

On the other side of the coin, the Falcons cannot be stopped on offense, as their players are all over the league’s leaderboard in stats. Ryan is currently second to only Drew Brees in passing yards (3,813), and Jones leads all receivers with 1,253 yards. Add to the fact that running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are a dangerous 1-2 punch out of the backfield, and this game could get ugly very early on Sunday.

Odds

Line: Falcons (-6)
Over/Under: 45

The only shot the Rams have on Sunday is letting it loose on offense, as the Falcons defense has proven to be beatable in recent weeks. Rams running back Todd Gurley is having an awful season in a Rams offense that looks historically bad each week. If the team can get him going early, and Goff can make some throws, they may be able to hang in there with the Falcons for at least the first half.

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Those are all ifs though, and the truth is that the Falcons are just a far superior team at this point. Atlanta is one of the best teams in the NFC, and they have the offensive firepower to make a serious run at a Super Bowl this season. There is no way they let the Rams stand in their way, as they need to win to keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at bay in the NFC South. They win this game by at least two touchdowns, with Ryan and Jones connecting twice in a blowout.

Prediction: Falcons 30 Rams 16