The Los Angeles Rams (2-0) and Houston Texans (2-1) will meet on Saturday afternoon in the final week of the preseason after holding a joint practice on Thursday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM ET at NRG Stadium in Houston. Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook's lines on Rams vs. Texans odds and give our expert NFL picks and predictions.
After winning just one preseason game over the past three years, the Rams are off to a 2-0 start this year with tough wins over the Dallas Cowboys (13-12) and Los Angeles Chargers (13-9). Quarterback Stetson Bennett led the Rams in both games, scoring game-winning touchdowns with four seconds left in the Dallas game. The Rams have not used any starters in the preseason and that will likely continue on Saturday.
The Texans lost 21-17 to the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame game, but bounced back with wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers (20-12) and the New York Giants (28-10) by a combined 26 points. QB C.J. Stroud has played sparingly so far, attempting just 14 passes in two games, and did not play against the Bears.
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Rams vs Texans odds
Courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. For the complete list, visit the USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds Hub. Lines last updated at 9:48 a.m. ET.
Money Line (ML): Rams +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Texans -200 (bet $200 to win $100) Against the Spread (ATS): Rams +3.5 (-110) | Texans -3.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 34 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Rams vs. Texans predictions and forecasts
prediction
Texans 20, Rams 13
Money Line
Betting the money line on a preseason favorite is a risky play, especially when Houston's line is -200. The Texans take the preseason more seriously than the Rams, but they're still not worth betting on at -210. Pass.
Preventing the spread
The Rams are 2-0 against straight-up (SU) and the spread (ATS) this preseason, but the magic may not be there on Saturday. Their wins came on a last-second TD pass, a fourth-down win against the Cowboys and a 47-yard kick with 9:48 left in the fourth quarter last week. Without those two plays, they would have been 0-2.
The Texans have the edge at quarterback with Davis Mills and Case Keenum over Bennett. Plus, with this being the final preseason game, the Rams could play it even safer with their primary backups, especially on the offensive line. Bet on the Texans -3.5 (-110).
Over/Under
In the Rams' two preseason games, the under has scored 25 and 22 total points, respectively. In the Texans' three games, the under has scored 39.3 total points, just above the listed 33.5. However, the under is favored league-wide this summer.
Bet on under 34 (-110).
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