NFL Odds — Rams Hope to Put Running Game to Work Against Bears
The St. Louis Rams have lost their starting quarterback for the season, so they have taken a different road to respectability. They hope to continue traveling on that road on Sunday as they face off against the Chicago Bears in NFL betting action that kicks off at 1 PM ET at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
The Rams are among a group of team that still have some wild card hopes. They are 4-6 straight-up and against the football pointspread and are coming off their best effort of the season as they destroyed Indianapolis 38-8. The Bears are 6-4 straight-up and share the NFC North lead with the Detroit Lions. Chicago has not been a strong performer against the NFL odds, as they are just 2-6-2 in that respect.
In the pro football betting lines that have been posted on this game at BetAnySports, the Rams are the slight favorites:
Pro Football Wagering Lines courtesy of BetAnySports USA Internet Sportsbook
St. Louis Rams -2
Chicago Bears +2
Over 45.5 Points -110
Under 45.5 Points -110
Chicago, like Detroit, has taken advantage of the fact that the Green Bay Packers lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the Bears have had to navigate their way around QB injuries of their own. However, they were probably more prepared than Green Bay. when jay Cutler went down, coach Marc Trestman went with a guy he really trusted in the offense. It was Josh McCown, who may not be the most physically gifted backup quarterback, but is very intelligent on the field. McCown has impressed many NFL bettors with his poise, and he has done one thing coaches always ask of quarterbacks, in that he has kept the football out of enemy hands. In fact, he has had 101 attempts without an interception, and you can’t get much better than that. The fact that his average yards per attempt of 7.5 is higher than Cutler’s doesn’t hurt either.
The Rams are forced to go with their backup quarterback too, and he is also a veteran. Kellen Clemens may not be passing his test with such flying colors as McCown, but he managed to connect with Tavon Austin for three touchdowns against Indianapolis, and that was something Sam Bradford somehow had trouble doing. But the thing about St. Louis that has probably grabbed BetAnySports customers the most is the play of running back Zac Stacy, who has become a rookie of the year candidate with the way he has literally created a ground attack for the Rams. Stacy has 537 yards on the season, which was somewhat unexpected form someone who was drafted in the fifth round out of Vanderbilt.
Stacy’s presence has to be a concern for the Bears, because they haven’t been able to slow down too many people on the ground. Ray Rice of Baltimore had 131 yards against them last week, after rushing for 126 yards in the previous four game combined. On the season, Chicago has surrendered 4.5 yards per carry. And there are injuries to deal with on defense. No one should take Jeff Fisher’s team for granted.
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More About Charles Jay
CHARLES JAY grew up around the gaming business, was raised in the boxing business, and along the way has developed a colorful background through a wide range of experiences. Jay was a veteran of almost two decades actively in the boxing industry, as a writer, publicist, matchmaker, booking agent, manager, and promoter. He was engaged as editorial consultant for USA Network's "Tuesday Night Fights" for seven years, and also did some on-air work for USA. He also served as color commentator for, among others, Sunshine Network and Prime Network, and has called more than a dozen world championship fights for national and/or international television. He has been the host of numerous radio programs, including "Sportswatch with Charles Jay" on KDWN in Las Vegas, "Total Action" on WAXY 790 in Miami, and "Charles Jay's Winning Edge", syndicated into 55 markets by the American Radio Networks. For the past 20 years, he has been a professional sports handicapper, and as a consultant to the casino industry from 1993-95, helped to launch Casino Magic in Mississippi as a major venue for sports promotions. Also, he's been a casino/sports gaming columnist for a number of leading publications, including Sports Form, Casino Player, Card Player, and The Gambler. In the 2000's, he became widely known as one of the world's leading proponents and experts on the subject of boxing reform, having been asked to appear on numerous panels and speak at officials' seminars. He was the author of "Operation Cleanup" and "Operation Cleanup 2: Unfinished Business" - two critically-acclaimed e-books that represent arguably the most comprehensive and in-depth examination of boxing reform issues ever put into publication. In 2004 he published a third electronic book - "Body Shots: Outside the Ring and Inside the Game of Pro Boxing". In 2003 he was the recipient of the "Dignity" Award, in the category of "Best Sports Writer," as bestowed by the Retired Boxers Foundation.
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