Turf Show Times
Los Angeles has been on a roll but the team can’t afford to get complacent if they want to stay atop their tight division
The Los Angeles Rams have gained control of the NFC West for the first time this season and now have a clear path to the playoffs, raising the fan base’s confidence in the team to the highest it’s been all year. Los Angeles is coming off their third win in-a-row, defeating their bitter division rivals the San Francisco 49ers 12-6 in a defensive showcase.
Confidence in the team was already soaring after the Rams 44-42 victory over the Buffalo Bills last week, coming in at 93%. That said, everyone knows that anytime LA can hand the 49ers a loss it’s just a little extra sweet, which is probably why confidence in the team has risen 3% more to 96% this week.
The Rams have now shown they have the offense to handle a shootout, while also sporting a defense that can grind out a win if need be as well. They will need both to be focused and playing at their best when they head east on Sunday to take on the New York Jets. This matchup has the makings of a classic trap game with LA potentially looking past their 4-10 foes to the big divisional game vs the Arizona Cardinals looming next week.
Fans nationally don’t seem to be worried about the Rams taking the Jets too lightly though, with 89% taking LA to cover the spread and win the game. Los Angeles is slightly favored in the matchup according to FanDuel, giving New York three points.
The Rams clearest path to the playoffs is a win in Week 17 and Week 18 vs the Cardinals and Seahawks to secure the division. While a Jets win gives them some leeway, especially in a situation where either of their division foes lose this week, at a minimum it’s going to come down to Week 17 vs Arizona before you have a possible playoff clinching scenario.
