Lines and Odds: Carolina at St. Louis

**RamsFanSam** · -09-03-2007

I don't gamble on football, at least nothing more than the friendly wager sure to embarrass a co-worker. I do look at the odds on the games. I've found several sites that seems to run in the 70+ % on predictions (when concerning our Rams) over the last 2 or 3 seasons. One, in particular, has proven to be solid in it's prognostication, and unbiased in it's research. The site asks that no one reproduce the stories or link to the board, so I will do as they ask, and just give you the rundown. This isn't word-for-word, but darn close.

Week 1: Carolina comes to St. Louis remembering the 15-0 rout of the Rams last season. They would do best forgetting that game, since the Rams they are facing this week are not the Rams of 2006. St. Louis has added to an already explosive offense by signing Drew Bennett, Randy McMichael, Dante Hall, and rookie Brian Leonard. The late signing of Antonio Pittman will be a non-factor in this game. Marc Bulger now has more targets than he needs to get the job done. The defense, admittedly weak in 2006, has been upgraded by the additions of Chris Draft and James Hall. Rookie Adam Carriker has replaced veteran Jimmy Kennedy (traded to Denver, then cut) in the middle and has already shown an improvement over last year's line.
Carolina looks to use a new offensive scheme this season. The biggest threat they have is Steve Smith. Smith may find that second-year CB Tye Hill won't have any trouble staying on his heels. DeShaun Foster may find that the Rams front four aren't as ready to give away yards this season. QB Delhomme shouldn't feel too much pressure during the game, but with the new scheme comes assignment issues, resulting in lost opportunities. The Panthers defense, led by Julius Peppers, will remain strong this season. Kris Jenkins, one time trade bait, is still out of shape, and may have trouble. The question remains, which is better: The Panther's defensive line or the Rams O-line?

Prediction: The first quarter will be a back-and-forth battle, with little or no scoring. Once the two teams get a feel for each other, the scoreboard will start to light up. All said and done, Rams 27, Panthers 24.

**laram0** · -09-03-2007

Carolina is not going to score 24, Sunday September 9th. They might have a total of 24 points after week 2 is in the books.

***RamFan_Til_I_Die*** · -09-03-2007

A good read...what's the name of the site?

***Bruce=GOAT*** · -09-03-2007

For what it's worth, the line I have on the game (as of now) is STL -1 with the over/under being 42.5 pts. For anyone unfamiliar with gambling, this means the Rams are expected to win this game by 1 point and the two teams will combine for around 42-43 points.

For anyone interested, Whiners are favored by 3 over Az and Seachickens by 6 over Bucs.

Two important things to consider here is 1. It is opening weekend and even the oddsmakers are finding their way as to the identity of some of these teams. 2. Home teams generally get an automatic 3 pt cushion. So in effect, if Rams played at Carolina, we would be 2 pt underdogs

***BeastMorgan55*** · -09-03-2007

Originally Posted by Bruce=GOAT

For what it's worth, the line I have on the game (as of now) is STL -1 with the over/under being 42.5 pts. For anyone unfamiliar with gambling, this means the Rams are expected to win this game by 1 point and the two teams will combine for around 42-43 points.

For anyone interested, Whiners are favored by 3 over Az and Seachickens by 6 over Bucs.

Two important things to consider here is 1. It is opening weekend and even the oddsmakers are finding their way as to the identity of some of these teams. 2. Home teams generally get an automatic 3 pt cushion. So in effect, if Rams played at Carolina, we would be 2 pt underdogs

Basicly this game is as even as it gets, win or lose heres to a good game and no injuries!

***max*** · -09-03-2007

Originally Posted by Bruce=GOAT

Home teams generally get an automatic 3 pt cushion. So in effect, if Rams played at Carolina, we would be 2 pt underdogs

Actually, it would be Carolina favored by 5. Rams would lose their 3 point cushion and Carolina would gain their 3 point cushion. That's a 6 point swing when you switch home teams.

***dgr828*** · -09-03-2007

For what it's worth, the Carolina Panthers lead the alltime regular season series against the Saint Louis Rams (10 wins - 7 loses)

***Bruce=GOAT*** · -09-03-2007

Duh!! Lol, max you are right. Sorry about the brain fart there. And to think that math is my favorite subject.

***UtterBlitz*** · -09-03-2007

I am not going to sit next to goat boy in math class anymore....his answers aren't any good.

***Brain Daddy*** · -09-04-2007

This is a game I'm looking forward to, especially after reading you guys go back and forth.

I have questions about the Rams ability to protect Bulger and open up holes for Jackson against Carolina's DLine. If that line plays like it did against Minnesota last year, the Panthers could be in for a long day. If Bulger is kept upright, he should have a big day, as Carolina's secondary doesn't impress me. If not, things could get ugly.

On the other side, I'm not sold on the Rams ability to stop the run. We'll whether or not Carriker will make an immediate impact. I think it will be important for the Rams to score first and early to force the Panthers away from the running game.

I think the final score might be something along the lines of 24-17, but I'm not sure who the winner will be. Should be a good game.