The 2021 NFL season is shaping up to be an interesting one in Los Angeles, as both teams in the City of Angels have the talent to compete for a playoff spot. While the Rams are coming off 10 regular-season wins and a postseason berth in 2020, the Chargers are looking to improve on a 7-9 campaign.
The Rams enter 2021 with a new quarterback under center after swapping Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford during the offseason. Despite being six years older than Goff, Stafford is expected to provide a significant upgrade over his predecessor. While Goff has been inconsistent and turnover-prone throughout his career, Stafford has been one of the NFL’s most dependable signal callers for over a decade.
Stafford’s big arm will also open up the offense and allow LA to take more shots downfield. With talented receivers such as Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and DeSean Jackson at his disposal, Stafford should flourish in Sean McVay’s aggressive offensive scheme.
While the Rams are well-stocked at the skill positions, they also feature one of the best defenses in the NFL anchored by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Los Angeles allowed the fewest points in the NFL last year and should be an elite unit once again despite the departure of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who is now the head coach of the Chargers.
Blessed with one of the most complete rosters in the NFL and one of the sport’s best coaching staffs, the Rams are poised for even more success this year with Stafford. With an extra game on the schedule, they are certainly talented enough to win 11+ games, which is why they’re worth betting the over on 10.5 regular-season wins with +105 odds at BetMGM, which is one of the better NFL betting apps around.
Similar to the Rams, the Chargers also appear poised for improvement in 2021. Los Angeles is hoping Justin Herbert can build off an impressive rookie season that saw him throw for 4,336 yards with a 31:10 TD/INT ratio. Keenan Allen is a premier receiving option and getting a full season from Austin Ekeler will help as well, as he’s one of the NFL’s best pass-catching backs when healthy.
While the Chargers are potent offensively, the key for them will be improving on the defensive side of the ball. Their defense has cost them multiple close games over the past few seasons with fourth-quarter collapses, so getting a full 60-minute effort on D every week will be critical.
That’s where Staley’s presence should help considerably. After overseeing the NFL’s top defense a year ago, he should be able to turn around a unit that ranked 23rd in points allowed last year. Even if Los Angeles is merely average defensively, that could still translate to a couple additional victories.
Assuming Staley fixes some of the Chargers’ defensive issues, they should be able to fashion a winning record this year and finish second in a relatively weak AFC West. While the Kansas City Chiefs are head-and-shoulders above the rest of the division, the Las Vegas Raiders are horrendous defensively and the Denver Broncos will struggle to score points. Accordingly, Los Angeles is a wise pick to finish second in their division at DraftKings (+175).
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