The Daily Sweat: Packers look to avoid more Baker Mayfield magic vs. Rams
We'll remember Baker Mayfield's comeback win in his Los Angeles Rams debut for a long time. Mayfield, two days after being acquired, led two touchdown drives in the final minutes for the win.
What we won't remember, which might be more relevant for betting purposes on Monday, is that the Rams were stuck on three points until deep into the fourth quarter and it took an absolute meltdown from the Las Vegas Raiders to give the Rams a shot.
Will an extra 11 days make that big of a difference for Mayfield and the Rams? That answer will probably guide your bet. The Rams take on the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, and the Packers are 7-point favorites at BetMGM.
The Rams are still a mess. They have a long injury list that includes quarterback Matthew Stafford, receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson II and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. They're 4-9 after winning a Super Bowl last season. Mayfield's big comeback was one of the rare highlights in a miserable season.
The Packers aren't having much fun this season either. They're 5-8 after being heavy favorites to win the NFC North before the season started. But the Packers are still mathematically alive for the playoffs. Their chances to make the playoffs are small but not zero yet. Presumably, we'll see a focused and motivated Packers team, rested off a bye, hoping to win out and see what happens.
It's hard to have a lot of faith in the Rams. They're still a banged-up team playing out the string, having to travel and play a game that will have temperatures in the teens by kickoff. But Mayfield has already pulled off one miracle with the Rams. Maybe there's more to come.
Here's a first look at the sports betting slate for Monday:
Lakers try to stay hot without Anthony Davis
Davis will miss a few weeks with a foot injury, which is a rough blow for the Los Angeles Lakers. After a brutal start to the season, the Lakers had been rallying. They had won 11 of 17 to get back in the playoff race.
The Lakers need to stay afloat without Davis, and oddsmakers don't love their chances on Monday. They're 9.5-point underdogs against the Phoenix Suns. We'll see if the Lakers can keep covering spreads without Davis. That's probably the most interesting contest in a nine-game NBA slate.
A midday bowl game
For a little while we'll get random bowl games in the middle of the day. Another happens Monday when Marshall faces UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. That kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET. Hopefully it's more competitive than the spread: BetMGM has Marshall as a 12-point favorite.
Best of the rest
There are eight games in the NHL. The Florida Panthers at the Boston Bruins (-185) highlights that slate as the Bruins try to stay red hot.
It's a very quiet night in college basketball, with some games but nothing that will move the needle. Utah State, which faces Weber State, is the best team in action.
What's the best bet?
It didn't work the last time the Rams played, but I'm going to fade them and take the Packers. Maybe the Rams are energized by that Raiders win, but I still see a team that has been beat up by injuries. If either of these teams is going to surge late in the season, it's probably the Packers.
