Week 3 in the NFL starts with one of the best 1 p.m. kickoffs of the season, as NFC powers Los Angeles and Philadelphia meet for the third time in the last two seasons.
Last year, the Eagles won big on the road in the regular-season LA-Philly matchup, pulling away, 37-20, after leading 13-7 at the half.
But the playoff matchup between these two came down to the wire, with Matthew Stafford nearly driving the Rams to a late go-ahead touchdown before a couple of huge plays by Philly DT Jalen Carter preserved the win.
Three weeks later, the Eagles were NFL champs after blowouts of Washington in the NFC Championship Game and Kansas City in Super Bowl 59.
How To Watch Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EDT
TV: FOX
Rams vs. Eagles Odds: Spread, Moneyline
Rams vs. Eagles Betting News, Analysis
Both these teams are off to 2-0 starts, with the Rams playing arguably as well as the reigning champs.
LA beat the Texans at home to open the season, then blew out the Titans 33-19 on the road last Sunday.
Philly is undefeated, and there’s no such thing as an ugly road win over the Chiefs, but the Eagles passing offense is yet to find its stride.
Could that mean the Eagles are ripe for an upset loss?
Los Angeles Rams Betting News, Outlook
Record: 2-0
NFC West winner odds (FD): +175
NFC winner odds (FD): +900
Throughout training camp, speculation built about Matthew Stafford’s back and his ability to stay on the field this season. But so far, Stafford has looked like himself, completing 71 percent of his passes for 543 yards, three TDs and 1 interceptions.
With Stafford at 100 percent, the Rams look like a legit threat in the NFC West and beyond, especially if the young pass rush continues to control games. 2024 DROY Jared Verse, Kobie Turner and Byron Young lead a front seven that has already racked up eight sacks and nine TFL.
Another encouraging development for LA is the strong start by the offensive line, which dealt with a slew of injuries early in 2024. While Stafford has been sacked four times in 66 dropbacks (sack rate: 6 percent), the running game is averaging a solid 4.4 yards per carry despite a Week 1 matchup against Houston’s excellent defense.
Philadelphia Eagles Betting News, Outlook
Record: 2-0
NFC East winner odds (FD): -210
NFC winner odds (FD): +370
The Eagles defense and running game are thriving, as expected, but the passing game under new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has looked disjointed.
Jalen Hurts has made just enough plays with his arm, including a crucial deep pass to DeVonta Smith that helped seal the win over the Chiefs, but no one in Philly is pretending that winning while throwing for 150 yards or fewer is a perfect formula for another deep playoff run.
The most interesting on-field storyline in this game is how the Rams will hold up against Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ star RB gained a staggering 460 rushing yards in two games vs. the Rams last year, with four TDs and 74 more receiving yards on eight total receptions.
There’s a lot to like about the Rams in this matchup, but can they really win if they can’t slow down Barkley? Related: has enough changed up front for LA to realistically expect a better fate for their run D?
Based on Nick Chubb and Tony Pollard both running for 4.6 yards per carry on this defense, the answer to the latter question is probably no.
Best Rams vs. Eagles Player Prop Bets
I fully expect Barkley to get his in this game, but with an over/under of 90 rushing yards, he’s easy to resist.
One running back in this game who is tempting is L.A.’s Blake Corum.
The second-year back for the Rams has just six carries through two games.
His performance against the Titans (5 carries for 44 yards and a TD) should earn him more touches going forward, though. I’m especially bullish on Corum in this game and throughout the rest of the season given that starter Kyren Williams has only run for 132 yards on a whopping 35 carries this season.
So, give me Corum to run for at least 16 yards and clear his very manageable over/under line of 15.5 rushing yards.
It’s worth noting, though, that Williams did run for 106 yards on 19 carries in last year’s Rams-Eagles playoff game. He was also effective against Philly in the regular season (16 carries for 72 yards, 1 TD).
And given that Williams had runs of 27 and 30 yards in those games, he’s worth a look to have a longest rush of over 13.5 yards in this contest.
Best Rams vs. Eagles prop bets:
Blake Corum over 15.5 rush yards (-114 at FanDuel) — 1 unit
Kyren Williams longest rush over 13.5 yards (-102 at FD) — 0.5 units
Rams vs. Eagles Prediction, Best Bets
An upset win by the Rams wouldn’t surprise me at all, especially if the Eagles are once again overly dependent on the running game.
But I’m not quite willing to pick an upset by a team that was exposed as badly as the Rams were by Barkley, twice, in 2024.
So, let’s go with the Eagles to win at home but the Rams to cover as 3.5-point dogs.
The other play I like in this matchup is the over, as Stafford and WRs Davante Adams and Puka Nacua should have some success against a Philly secondary that has had coverage issues early this season after losing multiple starters from last year’s D.
Best bets:
Rams +3.5 (-115 at DraftKings) — 0.5 units
Over 44.5 (-110 at DK, bet365) — 0.5 units
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