Eagles vs. Rams Pick: Cappers Beware

Philadelphia Eagles (4-0 SU, 2-1-1 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Rams (2-2 SU, 3-0-1 ATS)

Week 5 NFL

Date/Time: Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 4:05PM EDT

Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

TV: Fox

Point Spread: PHI -4/LAR +4 (Bovada – The BEST sportsbook on the planet! Best live betting, fastest payouts, big signup bonuses, awesome wagering menu and more!)

Money Line: PHI -210, LAR +175

Over/Under Total: 50.5

The Philadelphia Eagles take on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in an NFC battle from SoFi Stadium. The Rams evened their record at 2-2 on Sunday with a nice 29-23 overtime road-win In Indianapolis. They now return home to face the defending conference champion Eagles, a team that also emerged from overtime on Sunday with a victory, edging the Commanders at home, 34-31. Who can get us the cover on Sunday in Inglewood?

Adjusting on the Fly

With the Rams going 3-0-1 against the spread thus far, it’s fair to say they were overlooked heading into the season. Granted, it is a short window and things don’t necessarily have to get better or even stay level. But with the return of WR Cooper Kupp imminent as he is supposed to begin practicing this week, it just gives the still-useful Matthew Stafford another aerial dimension to go with the league-leader in receptions in Puka Nacua. With Kyren Williams doing damage on the ground, this offense isn’t half-bad. And while they’re nothing special defensively, it’s not quite what we saw being billed in the preseason, where the Rams were projected to be awful. They got battered a bit by San Francisco, but have otherwise held up pretty well, with their two losses being one-score affairs.

The Rams in this spot are far from a hopeless proposition. Sure, it’s the defending conference champion, a context in which the Rams were not supposed to be successful this season. The Eagles may not have shown vintage form as of yet, but a 4-0 mark is all that matters for them. Still, with the Patriots, Vikings, and Commanders able to play the Eagles close, the Rams at home could very well hold their own and once again serve notice that the combination of Stafford, the vitality of their aerial attack, good coaching, and Aaron Donald is sometimes going to be good enough to get it done in certain spots in this league.

Tough Spot for Philly?

On paper, the Eagles really have it all, a complete team that if hitting on all cylinders can be all wrong for a team like the Rams. A potential Philly backer this week could poke holes in the Rams’ week one win over Seattle and an OT win over Indy as not being very special, while being the only team to lose to the Bengals and a 30-13 mauling by the Niners are better representations of where they stand. Granted, the Rams have been surprising, but that’s coming from a starting point of low expectations. Kupp is a compelling weapon that could be back in the fold this week. And they are at home in what is a long road-trip for the Eagles.

It’s still not hard envisioning the Philly defensive line getting some major push on a Rams’ offensive line that has held up pretty well, albeit not in the toughest spots overall. Aerially, they can capitalize on what can be a mistake-prone Stafford. And if they come out able to run the ball with D’Andre Swift and Jalen Hurts, with Hurts connecting to AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, we might see some of those Rams’ defensive shortcomings come more into focus. But it still seems to be a tricky spot where it’s easy to overstate the true gap that exists between the two teams.

Better Early Than Late

Again, it’s early in the season, the Rams really haven’t proven anything yet, and we’re not sure how much a go Kupp will be or if he’s even playing. But you have a Rams team that won a Super Bowl a few years ago. They have a coaching staff with a proven track record. They look to have landed the steal of the draft with Puka Nacua. They have a serviceable tight end in Tyler Higbee and a good X-factor receiver in Tutu Atwell. Who’s to say that with the return of Kupp, the Rams’ offense doesn’t take off a little?

The fact of the matter is we just don’t know. We could tune in on Sunday and see the Rams outmanned across all areas with Kupp not a factor. Or maybe we’ll see a Rams’ defense holding their own against an Eagles’ offense that lands in LA not shot out of a cannon, while the Rams start flexing their burgeoning aerial attack, with Kyren Williams continuing to come out of nowhere, as the young back already has six touchdowns this season. The Eagles are at a place coming into week five where they are 4-0 without having really been super-impressive. And just maybe, it sets up for a spot where they’re not at a state of full-urgency, allowing a high-energy underdog to outperform expectations yet again.

Take the Points on the Home Favorite

Taking a giddy outlook on the Rams could end up coming at a cost. In reality, a gutsy 2-2 start is not a foundation where hopes and dreams are answered. The Eagles could deliver a fat reality sandwich this week and no one would really have the right to be terribly surprised. I just sense it’s going to be a number of weeks before we see a top-gear Eagles bunch and with the Rams playing with so much gusto, I think they can keep this one close at home this week. I’ll take the Rams in this one.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Los Angeles Rams plus 4 points. Bet your Week 5 NFL predictions for FREE by scoring a 100% real cash bonus on your first deposit of $50 to $300 when you enter bonus promo code PREDICTEM at BetUS Sportsbook!