New Orleans Saints Have Big Test Against Los Angeles Rams In Week 12 NFL Schedule
The New Orleans Saints are receiving no favors from the NFL schedule. In Week 12, the Saints travel to play the Los Angeles Rams. This is a huge test for the team, but it is just one of many coming up on the Saints’ 2017 schedule. In successive weeks, the Saints will have to play the Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons. This stretch of games could dictate whether the Saints get a first-round bye in the 2018 NFL Playoffs.
As reported by ESPN, the Los Angeles Rams average 30.3 points per game, while allowing only 18.6 points per game this season. The team has a balanced offensive attack, averaging 255 passing yards and 120.4 rushing yards a contest. Through the first 11 weeks of the NFL season, it seems clear that the team might not have a lot of weaknesses for opponents to exploit. It’s possible, though, that the Minnesota Vikings figured out something this weekend, as they held the Rams to just seven points.
The ESPN Matchup Predictor also has odds for the Saints vs. Rams game already, suggesting that the Rams have a slight edge in this game. The home team has been given a 50.6 percent chance at winning this game and moving to 8-3 on the season. Currently, Vegas oddsmakers have also stated that the Rams are two-and-a-half-point favorites to win this game. This clearly makes the Saints an underdog on the road, which is familiar territory for a number of players on the roster.
Keep voting for your favorite #Saints to the Pro Bowl! -> https://t.co/OcxICjqfsX #GoSaints #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/Jf95spMbD9
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 21, 2017
On paper, the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams are very similar. Mark Ingram and Todd Gurley II lead their respective running attacks, while quarterbacks Drew Brees and Jared Goff do well at moving the chains and taking care of the ball. This has all the makings of a great football game on CBS, with a lot on the line for both teams. The Saints are trying to hold off the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, while the Rams are trying to hold back the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.
Game time is 1:25 p.m. PT on Sunday (November 26), with playoff implications on the line. If the New Orleans Saints can win against a tough opponent on the road, they will move to 9-2 and hold an important tiebreaker over another potential division winner. That could be huge as the 2018 NFL Playoffs draw closer.
[Featured Image by Chris Graythen/Getty Images]
