Los Angeles Rams 2021-2022 Season Preview, Odds and Win Totals

The marriage between former No. 1 pick Jared Goff and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is officially over.

The relationship got off to a terrific start, with McVay and Goff combining forces to take the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018. From that point forward, the offense never gelled the following two seasons despite continuing to finish above .500. 

In 2019, Goff signed a massive contract extension at four years and $134 million dollars with $110 million guaranteed. Despite his two consecutive years of regression, the Rams and Detroit Lions got acquainted, trading Goff along with multiple draft picks to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.

For the Rams, 2021 is all about finding that same type of consistency from years past on offense, taking advantage of the top-ranked defense in the NFL a season ago, and returning back to the Super Bowl.

Los Angeles Rams 2021 Team Outlook

The addition of Stafford is the Rams' equivalent of throwing all their chips in the center of the poker table and going all in. He's now 33 years old, and while we've seen more and more quarterbacks extend their "life expectancy" in the league, Stafford doesn't have years to get comfortable with his new team as the Rams are in full-on "win-now mode."

McVay, normally very conservative when it comes to playing players during the preseason did not play Stafford at all despite learning a brand new offense in Los Angeles. The good news is he's a great fit for what they want to run. The Rams get the ball out quickly, with lots of pre-snap movement to cause confusion and open space; an effective weapon considering how good the Rams' offense has been in yards-after-catch. Stafford was still productive for the Lions last year; playing in all 16 games and throwing for over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions.

The injury bug hit L.A.'s running backs early, with Cam Akers lost for the season with a torn Achilles and backup running back Darrell Henderson dealing with a thumb injury, the Rams acquired former New England Patriots running back Sony Michel to the mix. Both Henderson and Michel should factor into the Rams' week-to-week game plan, but neither are expected to be the featured back.

At receiver, Kupp and Woods return after another excellent season. Both were equally featured in the offense, with only five targets and two receptions separating the two. Van Jefferson should see more volume in his second year, and the Rams also added more depth with veteran DeSean Jackson as well as rookie Tutu Atwell that is built in a similar mold as Jackson.

Tyler Higbee will be the lead tight end once again and should form a great connection with Stafford. T.J. Hockenson, the Lions tight end was targeted 101 times for 67 catches in 2020, along with six touchdowns and 723 receiving yards.

The Rams' offensive line finished third in Pro Football Focus' overall rankings in 2020, and enter 2021 as a top-eight unit in football. What left tackle Andrew Whitworth continues to do at age 39 is simply remarkable. He did miss several games in 2020, so if he goes down again, that could lead to potential issues.

Defensively, no team was better than the Rams on that side of the ball a season ago. Under former defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, L.A. finished first in points allowed, first in yards and allowed the fewest first downs in the league. With Staley moving to the Los Angeles Chargers to become their head coach this offseason, former interim head coach with the Falcons, Raheem Morris takes over a veteran group and will look to implement a similar defense that made the Rams so successful a season ago.

Up front, Aaron Donald remains a constant Defensive Player of the Year candidate and will line up with Sebastian Joseph-Day and A’Shawn Robinson who missed the 2020 season with a heart condition.

At linebacker, Leonard Floyd was a revelation with 10.5 sacks, living up to his top 10 draft status when the Bears took him several years ago but consistently underperformed. Samson Ebukam is gone, but Justin Hollins should be able to step in.

Lastly, the secondary lost several notable players including John Johnson III and Troy Hill, but Jalen Ramsey remains as he continues to play at an elite level. He'll be joined on the other side by former Ravens cornerback Darious Williams, with Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp likely manning the two safety spots.

Los Angeles Rams 2021 NFL Draft

The Rams did not have a first-round selection this year, but their first overall selection was another speedster wide receiver in Tutu Atwell out of Louisville. Atwell joins a receiving core with plenty of veteran experience in Woods, Kupp and Jackson, the latter of which should be a major mentor for Atwell based on their shared skillset.

In Round 3, the Rams went linebacker with Ernest Jones from South Carolina. Three more picks followed in the fourth round with defensive tackle Bobby Brown from Texas A&M, Central Arkansas cornerback Robert Rochell, and UFC wideout Jacob Harris. The Rams drafted a total of nine players in the 2021 draft, with seven of them arriving on the third day between rounds 4-7.

Los Angeles Rams Team Odds: Division (+180), Conference (+550), Super Bowl (+1200)

The Rams and San Francisco 49ers are split right down the middle based on the WynnBET odds. Both L.A. and San Francisco are tied as co-favorites at +180 odds to win the toughest projected division in football this season. The Seattle Seahawks follow at +260 odds, with the Arizona Cardinals behind all three at +500.

The Rams are also getting serious championship consideration from the oddsmakers, as they’re tied with the Green Bay Packers to win both the NFC (+550) as well as Super Bowl 56 (+1200)

Los Angeles Rams Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 WINS | OVER (+100), UNDER (-120)

Ben Heisler: 

Matthew Stafford has been wasting away for so many years in Detroit, waiting for their organization to finally support him and help him win. After a few playoff appearances, Stafford finally gets rewarded for his patience and joins a Rams team that has Super Bowl aspirations, and the talent on both sides of the ball to help get there.

McVay is one of the most innovative offensive minds in football, and will know how to maximize Stafford's skillset with his movement-oriented offense. Stafford is extremely versatile, effective both under center and out of the shotgun, as well as through play-action.

The only real issue for the Rams is their division. The NFC West is absolutely stacked from top to bottom, leaving six very difficult games in the standings where zero constitute as an automatic win.

While I think the offense will look as efficient as it's ever been, I also have some concerns about the defense with Brandon Staley gone. Raheem Morris is a good defensive coach and has plenty of worthwhile experience amongst the best in the league, but it's still a turnover from the top-rated defense of last year, with several new faces penciled in.

Ultimately, I think the far improved offense makes up for the likely defensive regression that's coming. The Rams should win the division over the likes of the 49ers, Seahawks, and Cardinals, but those are also the teams stopping them from winning any more than 11 games.

PREDICTION: OVER (+100)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 11 WINS (+450)

Donnavan Smoot: 

The Rams made my favorite move this off-season and got rid of Jared Goff. They shipped him away to Detroit in favor of Matthew Stafford, which I think is a great move for them. Stafford is going to take the passing offense to another level, making the Rams the most explosive they’ve been since the year they made the Super Bowl. 

Aside from the offense, the defense is still one of the best in the league. With Aaron Donald on the line and Jalen Ramsey in the secondary, Los Angeles has a great foundation to repeat as the best defense in the league. It’s hard to be the best scoring and overall defense in consecutive years, but their stars don’t seem like they’re slowing down. 

The Rams have had issues all off-season with injuries to their running back stall. Cam Akers went down with an Achilles injury and then Darrell Henderson injured his thumb. Los Angeles traded for Sony Michel to try and soften the blow.

Michel isn’t going to be a difference maker, but if he can be passable, Los Angeles’ offense shouldn’t suffer.

The Rams have a lot of potential this year, as well as a lot of competition. The NFC West is loaded, but I don’t see that changing how high the floor is for the Rams. Expect them to compete for the division title and potentially to get to the Super Bowl. 

PREDICTION: OVER 10.5 WINS (+100)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 11 WINS (+425)

Peter Dewey:

Call me a Matthew Stafford believer, because I think the Los Angeles Rams are due for a big season in 2021. 

Jared Goff finished the 2020 season tied for second in interceptions with 13, and he was worse than Stafford in almost every major statistical category last season including yardage, touchdowns, passer rating, QBR, yards per attempt and yarder per completion. 

To put it simply, the Rams upgraded at the most important position on the field, and they still were able to keep the core of their team intact. Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams are all back on defense, and DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell add another dynamic to Los Angeles’ receiving corps. 

Losing Cam Akers to a torn Achilles is a big blow, but the Rams brought in Sony Michel to try and mitigate the drop off at running back. A former first-round pic, Michel has a chance to revive his career in Sean McVay’s offense. 

If Goff and John Wolford were good enough to get the Rams 10 wins and a playoff spot (and win!) in 2020, I think Stafford takes the Rams to new heights in a 17-game season. Give me the over on their projected win total, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams come away with the NFC West crown when the regular season comes to an end. 

PREDICTION: OVER 10.5 WINS (+100)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 11 WINS (+450)

Iain MacMillan:

The Los Angeles Rams were a competent quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender last season. They were the only defense in the NFL to allow fewer than 300 yards of offense per game (292.9), They were one of only two teams to allow fewer than 20 points per game (19.3), and they were second in sacks per game at 3.2. 

They weren’t terrible offensively, ranking around average in the NFL in most statistics, but untimely turnovers and failure to take advantage of opportunities from Jared Goff was their demise.

So it begs the question, will Matthew Stafford be the answer to their prayers? Stafford, while being a top quarterback throughout his entire career, hasn’t exactly established himself as a winner. He only made the postseason once, and he wasn’t able to secure a win. While many of the blame is rightfully put on the teams that surrounded him, some of the blame has to fall on his shoulders.

The Rams will be competing in the best division in football, in my opinion, as all four teams in the NFC West could make a case for the division title. With that being said, WynnBET has them set as the so-favorites at +185 along with the San Francisco 49ers.

While the Cam Akers injury certainly hurts their offense, I think Darrell Henderson and Sony Michel will be a more than suitable replacement. I think the Rams will find success in 2021.

PREDICTION: OVER 10.5 WINS (+100)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 13 WINS (+750)

Will the Los Angeles Rams Make the Playoffs? | MISS THE PLAYOFFS (+145), MAKE THE PLAYOFFS (-190)

Ben Heisler: 

The defense would have to regress at such a massive level for this Rams team not to make it to the postseason. There's too much talent on both sides for them not to make it to double digit victories.

After watching years of NFC North football, I can't stress the Stafford addition enough. He's going to play like an MVP candidate this year, and he may even get overlooked in votes because they won't need him to be elite and throw for 40+ touchdowns and 4,500-plus yards because they have balance from their defense and run game.

The division is tough, but I still like the Rams from a talent perspective ahead of everyone in it. They'll win the West and make the postseason.

PREDICTION: YES (-190)

Donnavan Smoot:

I would be shocked if the Rams weren’t in the playoffs. We’re rolling these previews out team-by-team so I’m going to give a way my pick for the NFC West right now. The San Francisco 49ers are going to win the division, meaning the Rams will have to get a wild card spot. Yet, I don’t see any wild card team being as good as the Rams.

Los Angeles is loaded with talent, and the trade for Stafford shows they are fully in “Win Now” mode. I like what the Rams are capable of doing and I expect to see them play past the first 17 games. 

PREDICTION: YES (-190)

Peter Dewey: 

The NFC West is going to be one of the best divisions in football this season, but the Rams are tied with the 49ers as the favorite to take the division crowd at +180 odds. 

I think Los Angeles has a great chance to make the playoffs again after surviving the Goff and Wolford experience down the stretch of the 2020 season, and as long as Stafford stays healthy, Los Angeles is predicted by oddsmakers to be one of the NFL’s best teams in 2021. 

If you’re as confident in the Rams as I am, taking them at +180 to win the division is a much better value than -190 to make the postseason, but the Rams have a great opportunity to cash in on their playoff odds considering they return most of the core from last year’s No. 1 ranked defense. 

PREDICTION: YES (-190)

Iain MacMillan:

If it’s mathematically possible for all four teams in a division to make the playoffs, the NFC West just might pull that off this season. It’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top, but I would be completely shocked if only one team from the division advances to the postseason.

The Rams took down the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round last season, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl winners in the divisional round. With an improvement at quarterback, there’s no doubt in my mind that they can return to the playoffs in 2021.

I’m a believer in Sean McVay, and I think he and the Rams will get it done this season.

PREDICTION: YES (-190)

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Every day from the start of NFL Training Camp, the BetSided team of Ben Heisler, Donnavan Smoot, Peter Dewey, and Iain MacMillan are breaking down the win totals, playoff, and Super Bowl odds for every team in the NFL.

Up next, we preview the betting outlook for the San Francisco 49ers and check out our earlier team-by-team betting previews.

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