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St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins NFL Betting Lines & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd

rams skins 91609 The St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins meet this Sunday at FedEx Field in Hyattsville, Maryland in a Week 2 NFC matchup. Last week, the Rams were crushed 28-0 by division rival Seattle and the Redskins fell 23-17 to the Giants after clawing their way back from a 17-0 deficit. While the Redskins got off to a strong 6-2 start last season, the Rams were responsible for handing the Skins one of their early losses, a 19-17 setback in Week 6. Rams kicker Josh Brown connected on a 49-yard field goal as time expired to earn the win. That win was a rare one for the Rams in this series however, as the Redskins have won six of the last nine matchups and boast a 22-10-1 lead in the all-time series. NFL odds makers have listed the Washington Redskins as a 9.5-point favorite with the total set at 37.

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The key for Washington will be to establish a strong running game behind tailback Clinton Portis. That should be the game plan the majority of the season. After all, Portis’ teams are a dominant 33-10 when he rushes for 100 or more yards in his career. Quarterback Jason Campbell did not get off to the fast start he was looking for, but when the running game is going it makes his life so much easier, just as we saw in the first half of last season.

The Rams really struggled to move the football last week and that makes this game a test for the Redskins. Yeah, I said that right. The Redskins need to come out and prove to themselves that they are a dominant defensive football team. If St. Louis is able to move the football on them, then it might be back to the drawing board. The good news is that Washington will be hungry after Albert Haynesworth and company only got to Eli Manning once last week. If Washington can bring the heat to Marc Bulger, they should prevail. It is also worth noting that the Rams are just 1-7-1 against the spread in their last nine games in Week 2. If you think Washington can pick up a double digit victory at home, bet the Redskins at -9.5 at Sportsbook.com.

St. Louis’ biggest weapon likely won’t be a player this week. The mastery of head coach Steve Spagnuolo has been one code the Redskins haven’t been able to crack. He was very tough on Washington when serving as a defensive coordinator for the Giants in 2007-08. He set out to stop Clinton Portis first and foremost, which is a good idea considering the stat I gave you above. Then, he tried to disguise coverages and bring pressure from several different positions on the field to really keep Jason Campbell guessing. Expect a similar strategy here. The only question will be if the Rams have enough talented players to pull it off.

Offensively, the Rams need to look to get running back Steven Jackson the football any way they can. Jackson has been very good in three career games versus Washington with 405 yards from scrimmage. Wide receiver Donnie Avery could be an asset as well. Avery’s speed helped him get in behind the Washington secondary in last year’s contest for a 43-yard pick up late in the game that set up the game-winning field goal. It is also worth noting that the underdog is 6-2 against the spread in their last eight meetings. If you think the odds makers have spotted St. Louis too many, bet the Rams at +9.5 at Sportsbook.com.

*Note: Last Sunday, Jimmy Boyd crushed the books with a 3-1 performance on the pro gridiron. Make sure you consult his NFL expert picks this Sunday before you make any moves.

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