Sean McVay, coach of the Los Angeles Rams, figured he went as far as he could go with Jared Goff. Some BetOnline patrons may have figured the same. And that’s kind of a heavy thing, considering he had gotten to the Super Bowl with him.
But relations were apparently strained. And so McVay and the Rams pulled the trigger on a move that should open up its offense.
The Chicago Bears took advantage of the NFL’s expanded playoff format to reach the post-season in 2020. But they can’t field the kind of team they did last year and hope to make much of an impact.
The Rams and Bears will meet in NBC’s first Sunday Night Football game of the season, slated to begin at 8:20 PM ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
Bears-Rams: Here are the odds by BetOnline
In the Sunday Night Football betting odds, the Rams are the solid favorites:
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | +7½ ( -109 ) | 46½ ( -110 ) | +281 |  |
| Rams | -7½ ( -111 ) | 46½ ( -110 ) | -350 | |
|
||||
And don’t forget that at BetOnline, you can get explosive payouts on pre-selected parlays with Odds Boosters!
Bears-Rams: Let’s talk about Chicago
The Bears like to think they punched their ticket for future success by drafting Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in the first round. There appears to be little doubt that he will eventually be the starter.But now is not that time. As he sits and learns more about the NFL, Andy Dalton will assume the starting spot.
Dalton is a veteran who won’t have a problem picking up what’s in the playbook, but he’s also past his sell-by-date. And he is not particularly mobile and prone to sacks. That will put a lot of pressure on the offensive line. And that includes 39-year-old Jason Peters, who may be headed to the Hall of Fame someday but is also well past his prime.
Last season the Bears’ coaching staff was stung by comments by then-starter Nick Foles that there was simply no time to execute the plays that were being called. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was given play-calling responsibility, but there was nothing too imaginative about all of it. A bright spot down the stretch was running back David Montgomery, who scored a TD in each of the last six games.
This season, head coach Matt Nagy has confirmed that he will be calling the offensive plays. At least that is the way it will start.
Bears-Rams: Let’s talk about Los Angeles
There have been a couple of major changes with the Rams. One is the big trade that was made with the Detroit Lions. It sent QB Jared Goff to the Motor City and brought Matthew Stafford to the coast.
Head coach Sean McVay hopes that Stafford can stretch defenses in a way Goff really didn’t. Opponents got tuned into Goff’s reliance upon play-action. And when the Rams’ running game was not dominant, that affected the whole offense.
Another change was the departure of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who became head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Under Staley, the Rams became perhaps the most formidable defensive team in the NFL. And now Raheem Morris, the former head coach in Tampa Bay, takes over. The Rams still have two of the biggest defensive stars. So expect defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey to have a lot to say about the outcome.
The conclusion
Staley had been an assistant in Chicago. And he was a protege of Vic Fangio, who was defensive coordinator for the Bears under Nagy. So some of what the Rams continue to do on defense, even in Staley’s absence, will be familiar. And Stafford is no stranger to the Bears, having played them twice a year in the NFC North.
How much potential this offense has under Dalton remains to be seen. Likely they won’t explode.
We would favor the Rams a little on the “side” because of that, but the real play here may be the total. These clubs have clashed in each of the last three seasons, and in those games there have been 79 combined points scored – 32 by Chicago. So yes, we’re going with the UNDER.
You get a 100% Welcome Bonus good up to $1,000 at BetOnline, where you can also take advantage of the $10,000 Refer-a-Friend Leaderboard Contest and the HUGE $500,000 NFL Mega Contest, which will pay $200,000 to the winner!
