Rams vs. Chargers Preseason Week 1 NFL: Preseason Battle for L.A.

Philip Wood

Last Updated: August 11, 2022 6:03 AM EDT • 2 min 39 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 14: Jacob Harris #87 of the Los Angeles Rams fumbles the ball against Alohi Gilman #32 of the Los Angeles Chargers during the second quarter during the preseason game at SoFi Stadium on August 14, 2021 in Inglewood, California. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Week 1 of the NFL preseason features a battle for Los Angeles. Interestingly, these two teams will meet again in the regular season on New Year's Day. With that in mind, let's dive into the best Rams-Chargers picks.

The defending Super Bowl champions will take the field for the first time since winning the Lombardi Trophy against their cross-town rivals, the Chargers. While it's unlikely that either team will be playing starters for much of this game, the Chargers do have a slight advantage with Chase Daniel likely taking most of the snaps at quarterback as opposed to John Wolford on the Rams.

Here are our Rams versus Chargers NFL picks for preseason Week 1 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Rams vs. Chargers Game Info

Date/Time: Saturday, Aug. 13, 10 p.m. ETTV: ABC7Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CAWeather: 74 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 6-mph winds

Rams vs. Chargers Odds Analysis

There has been a lot of movement on both the total and the spread. The Over/Under opened at 33, and the Chargers opened as 2.5-point favorites. Roughly 81% of the cash and 73% of tickets are on the Under, while 80% of tickets are on the Chargers to cover against the spread, according to Pregame.com.

Most sportsbooks saw the total stop moving at 30, but over at FanDuel, the number has fallen all the way to 29.5.

Rams vs. Chargers Picks

Rams vs. Chargers Pick

Chargers -3.5 (-110)

Last season, when these two teams met in the preseason, Chargers quarterbacks Chase Daniel went 15-for-24 for 104 yards and Easton Stick went 7-for-7 for 63 yards. Those were stat lines for a game that the Chargers won 13-6.

While neither one of these teams will play much of anyone, a key difference maker is that the Rams won the Super Bowl last year. During last season's preseason, the Buccaneers won only one game, a 23-16 victory over the Texans. Houston had nothing last year, so it's no surprise the backups from the Bucs could beat them.

Not all Super Bowl winners are the same, but the Rams are a lot like the Bucs from one year ago. They have an experienced quarterback who never needs to touch the field in the preseason and multiple weapons with nothing to prove. That doesn't mean the Chargers will be playing Justin Herbert, it just means the Rams are a lot more comfortable doing nothing this preseason.

Rams vs. Chargers O/U Pick

Under 30 (-110)

Neither of these teams put an emphasis on the preseason and it is unlikely that will change on Saturday night. Both groups expect to be contenders this year and neither one of them needs to test out any key components on the offensive end. Both groups know what they have in Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert, as well as the weapons they can get the ball to.

https://twitter.com/DanWSports/status/1556494152195403776?s=20&t=IhgBcAX6Z198syZycMWoWA

Last season's 13-6 scoreline was the norm for both teams last year. In three games, the Chargers' highest combined point total was 27, in a game they lost 27-0 to Seattle. For the Rams, it was 33, with their other two games failing to hit 30. Look for a sluggish start for both of these teams. This number could drop all the way to four touchdowns.

Rams vs. Chargers Prop Pick

Chargers to win by 1-13 points (+130)

If you need a prop, then pick the Chargers to win by one-to-13 points. There aren't many props available during the preseason, which makes finding good value very hard. The value here isn't great, but the chances of this happening are quite high. This should be a very low-scoring game, and if it is, then the chances of the Chargers winning by two touchdowns or more is highly unlikely.

The Rams to win by this same margin is currently at +220, but as 3.5-point underdogs, it seems this number should be closer to +250. The value lies on the Chargers, even if the number isn't very flashy.

Where to Bet on Rams vs. Chargers

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook Caesars Sportsbook DraftKings Sportsbook PointsBet BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting too ls.

Rams vs. Chargers picks made 8/11/2022 at 7:37 a.m. ET

Written By:
Philip Wood

Phil is a Sports Betting Analyst for Sportsbook Review and BettingPros.com, specializing in NFL and college football. He previously covered college football and college basketball for CanesInsight.com, where he also hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast. Phil is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is if a line doesn't make sense, just assume that Vegas knows something you don't. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. Some would call him a frontrunner for his love of the Yankees and the Celtics, but he's also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and will never forgive the refs for the blown pass interference call against the Cowboys in 2015.