Rams's Injured Joyner Underscores Iffy Defense Against Seahawks
In a potential playoff preview, Week 5 features a marquee matchup when the 2-2 Seattle Seahawks visit the 3-1 Los Angeles Rams. And though the Rams are the surprise of the 2017-2018 NFL season so far, they’ve got some issues on defense. Their biggest issue on defense, however, is the fact that defensive back Lamarcus Joyner – one of the NFL’s best players at his position – is set to miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Joyner is the third-ranked safety in the league, usually pulling double duty as a free safety and slot corner. On a defense that’s given up a lot of points, Joyner has been one of the only bright spots. Does the Rams outlook against the Seahawks get a little dimmer if the injured Joyner misses his second straight game?
Maybe. The good news, of course, is that the Rams beat the Cowboys last week without the injured Joyner. However, they only won that game by five points, giving up 30 to a Dallas club that’s been underwhelming so far this season. And though the Seahawks have been similarly underwhelming, a misstep or two on defense could be the difference between a Rams win and a Rams loss. As long as the Rams defense lets their opponents hang in there (two of their three high-scoring wins this season have been sealed by less than a touchdown), teams like the Seahawks will always have a chance to get the victory in the end.
The current Bovada betting line for the Seahawks vs. Rams has Los Angeles as 1-point favorites, and the straight moneyline is very close to even. The over/under is 47.5 points. On paper, the Rams should be able to overcome Seattle even if the injured Joyner misses another week of action, so these bets all seem favorable for Rams fans going into Week 5. Personally, I’m taking the Rams at -1, and the over looks pretty appealing, too.