Los Angeles Rams vs Los Angeles Chargers Week 17: Expect Some Big Runs From Rams RB Cam Aikers

• The ‘visiting’ Los Angeles Rams have lost their last five games on the road

• The Los Angeles Chargers have clinched one of the AFC’s 3 playoff Wildcard seeds

• Watch Rams vs Chargers live on Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 4:25 PM ET on CBS

Rams vs Chargers Week 17 Odds

Rams vs Chargers Week 17 Picks

POINT SPREAD: Los Angeles Rams +6.5 (-110) at Caesars  

POINTS TOTAL: Over 43 (-108) at Unibet

PASSING PROP: J. Herbert TDs – O1.5 (-190) at DraftKings

POINT SPREAD: Los Angeles Rams +6.5 (-110) at Caesars

This NFL Week 17  interconference faceoff between Los Angeles franchises features the Rams and Chargers both at home in SoFi Stadium, these Rams with Baker Mayfield now under center coming off a scorching 50+ point victory over the spiraling Broncos, versus these Chargers who have already clinched a playoff spot and will take one of the three available AFC Wildcard seeds.

Here is an interesting factoid brought to you by the sportsbooks - the underdogs have covered the spread in seven of the Rams' last eight games at SoFi Stadium, so we like them to do just that here in Week 17 given that the Chargers have less to play for since they are already playing in the postseason and might tend to rest those players bruised up enough to need it.

Another oddsmaker revelation is that the Rams have lost each of their last five road games but given that this travel day takes them to their home stadium, too, that trend might not apply since those fans in attendance will be shouting equally for both squads, a chance or QB Mayfield to plead his case as a legitimate NFL starter and for QB Justin Herbert to continue flexing that big arm.

POINTS TOTAL: Over 43 (-108) at Unibet

The incredible part of the Rams 2022 season is not that they have been eliminated from the playoffs already, but that they have given new life to QB Baker Mayfield who looks like the number one overall pick he used to be when he took the Browns back to the playoffs after so many seasons, now with 7th HC in Sean McVay, the two with 4 TDs and just 1 INT in three games.

Expect some big runs from Rams RB Cam Aikers who in Week 16 had 23 carries for 118 yards and 3 TDs averaging 5.1 yards per carry, the perfect counter to ‘height challenged’ Mayfield’s passing attack style that favors play-action fakes and rollouts to find passing lanes, that’s versus a Chargers secondary that stars playmaking CBs Asante Samuel and Michael Davis.

Weather will not be a factor in this one. Still, injuries can be so check back before game time to make sure the key playmakers are all suiting up, right now the Rams with at least 18 players out and five questionable or doubtful including LB Tevin Howard (hip), and the Chargers with 15 players out and three game time decisions including RB Austin Ekeler (knee) and S Derwin James (concussion).

PASSING PROP: J. Herbert TDs – O1.5 (-190) at DraftKings 

This is an exciting Special Passing Prop bet from DraftKings geared especially for fans of LA Chargers QB Justin Herbert who has been struggling as of late to play at the level his teammates and HC Brandon Staley expect, these last two games with no TDs, 3 INTs after having been sacked 7 total times, a rough stretch that must get better as they approach the playoffs.

This bet has the gambler guessing whether Herbert will catch fire in Week 17 and begin to throw for TDs once again – he has 21 passing TDs so far this season – and DraftKings sets the number of TDs he throws at 1.5, so that means the over is two TD passes or more and the under is one or less, a choice that we like to hit the over since he and his targets are due.

Herbert has thrown for two or more TDs in six of his fifteen games this season so he can make this bet easily if all systems are a go, meaning his connections with his healthy receivers including deep threats Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer and star slot man Keenan Allen plus soft handed TE Gerald Everett, all ready to go to work against this Rams’ 22nd ranked pass defense.

How to Watch Rams vs Chargers

• What: Los Angeles Rams vs Los Angeles Chargers

• Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA

• When: Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 4:25 PM ET

• How: CBS