The New England Patriots (4-3) and the St. Louis Rams (3-4) will be promoting the NFL on the other side of the Atlantic this weekend (Sunday 1pm ET; 6pm BST). The two teams will meet on Sunday from Wembley Stadium in London in front of a British crowd. The sportsbooks have made the Patriots a significant favorite in the game despite the fact that both teams have fairly mediocre records.
Here's a look at the results that the two teams have posted this season:
STL 23 @ DET 27
WAS 28 @ STL 31
STL 6 @ CHI 23
SEA 13 @ STL 19
ARI 3 @ STL 17
STL 14 @ MIA 17
GB 30 @ STL 20
NE 34 @ TEN 13
ARI 20 @ NE 18
NE 30 @ BAL 31
NE 52 @ BUF 28
DEN 21 @ NE 31
NE 23 @ SEA 24
NYJ 26 @ NE 29
When you look at the Rams results you don't really see quality opponents with the exception of the Chicago Bears (5-1), maybe Arizona (4-3) and maybe Seattle (4-3). The Rams weren't exactly competitive against Chicago and while St. Louis did defeat the Seahawks and Arizona it should be pointed out that the Rams were hosts in both of those games. There's nothing really head turning about St. Louis's results but when you look at New England's, there are some scores that raise your eyebrows.
The fact that the Patriots were competitive against Baltimore (5-2), the third favorite to win the AFC (Ladbrokes), at M&T Bank Stadium is impressive, even in a losing effort. It's also hard to ignore New England's blow out road wins against Tennessee (3-4) and Buffalo (3-4) where the Patriots outscored their opponents by a combined 86-41. Looking at the odds, the Patriots are -300 (1/3; Paddy Power) straight up while the Rams come in at +250 (5/2; Stan James). The spread for the game is at -7 with numerous sportsbooks (ie. bet365). When you look at both New England's 21-point victory over the currently 3-4 Titans and the Patriot's 24-point victory over the currently 3-4 Bills on their home turfs, then covering a 7-point spread against the 3-4 Rams in a neutral venue looks like a good line to take.
Betting recommendation: Patriots straight up and/or to cover the spread.