The NFL season has already hit Week 8, and the upcoming round of games sees two Los Angeles-based franchises go head-to-head on the West Coast. Both the Chargers and Rams have been underwhelming compared to what was expected of them prior to the season, and each franchise needs a victory to salvage preseason hopes.
For the Chargers, it might already be too late to turn things around. Jim Harbaugh’s team went into their bye week 0-6, with a playoff push practically impossible. Meanwhile, the Rams are fighting to get back above .500, let alone rediscover their preseason status as Super Bowl favorites, and are hoping for a second successive win after beating the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.
Bookmakers have priced the November 1 game as a lopsided contest, and the two main markets show different sides of that. The moneyline highlights who is expected to win, while the spread shows by how much. This list of NFL betting apps includes a section breaking down both formats, and also compares multiple operators.
Moneyline odds have the Rams as the overwhelming favorite
As the only NFL franchise without a win this season, it comes as no surprise that the Chargers are huge underdogs heading into Sunday’s game. Many believed that Justin Herbert and his offense could be among the best in the league following the arrival of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, but he is tied for the most interceptions this year while managing just 1,141 yards in six games.
With odds of +270 to win the game, sportsbooks think there is barely any chance of an upset, especially as the Rams are generally priced at the -335 mark. Although Stafford and company have suffered multiple damaging losses this year, most notably against Arizona and Denver, they do still boast a terrifying roster on offense which has scored the sixth-most points this season.
As the Chargers are struggling in all areas, and with the Rams among the best offensive teams in the division, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a blowout this weekend. But that isn’t a certainty, as shown by the spread markets.
Spread market odds highlight blowout skepticism
Close games in the NFL might see the line for spread betting markets set at around the +/- 3 mark. And while the line for this matchup doesn’t quite reach double digits, a +7.5 line for the Chargers is highly indicative of how poorly Harbaugh’s team has played so far.
To win a spread bet on the favored Rams (-7.5), they need to defeat the Chargers by eight points or more. With the Chargers losing each of their games so far this season by six points or more, and amassing a point difference of -61 heading into Week 8, it would not be a shock if the Rams managed a winning margin of more than one touchdown.
However, McVay’s team hasn't exactly blown teams away either, aside from double-digit margin victories against the Giants and Raiders. The Chargers simply need to lose by seven points or less, or to win the game outright, for the bet to pay out, and odds of -120 indicate skepticism among sportsbooks regarding a huge blowout, despite the consensus that the Rams are expected to emerge victorious.