The first Sunday Night Football game of the 2021 season will be the first regular-season game at Sofi Stadium with a full house. The Los Angeles Rams finally get to welcome fans to their new mansion as they host the Chicago Bears. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET from Southern California, and the game will be televised on NBC.
Last season the Rams beat the Bears 24-10 at home in Week 7, but they trail the all-time series 54-38-3. The Rams also beat the Bears in 2019. Last season Los Angeles made the playoffs and won in New Orleans before losing to Green Bay, while the Bears got the last playoff spot and fell to the Saints in the opening game.
Dalton Desperate to Hold Off Fields
The Bears will start the season with Andy Dalton at quarterback. Given that reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is on the other side and the Bears have a suspect offensive line, it wasn’t a tough decision for Matt Nagy. Yes, first-round pick Justin Fields outplayed Dalton in the preseason and looked good, but there’s no need to risk him against the Rams’ fearsome front line in the opener.
Dalton struggled in 2020 with Dallas, but he does have very good weapons in wide receiver Allen Robinson and running back David Montgomery. Robinson will need to work to get open against Jalen Ramsey, which could give plenty of targets to Darnell Mooney and the Bears tight ends Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet.
The Bears are still formidable on the defensive side of the ball, with Khalil Mack ready to wreak havoc in the backfield. Former Rams linebackers Alec Ogletree and Robert Quinn are with Chicago, while Eddie Jackson needs help in the secondary, especially against the Rams. Eddie Goldman is doubtful on the line for Week 1 with a knee injury, and defensive end Mario Edwards is suspended.
Stafford’s Time to Shine
The Rams made moves in the off-season, and now they get to see quarterback Matthew Stafford in action for the first time. He has gone over the 4,000-yard mark eight times in his career and should fit nicely with Sean McVay’s West-Coast offense, which was at its peak in 2018.
The Rams are loaded at wide receiver with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson plus rookie Tutu Atwell, and veteran DeSean Jackson. They acquired running back Sony Michel from the Patriots in the preseason after Cam Akers was injured, and he will share the load with Darrell Henderson Jr.
The Rams have just about everyone back on defense from last season, and it all revolves around Donald and Ramsey. A’Shawn Robinson is a question mark with a knee injury on the line, but the rest of the Rams are ready to go.
Betting Analysis
- Chicago Bears +7.5 (-105). +330 Money Line
- Los Angeles Rams -7.5 (-115). -435 Money Line
- Total: 46.5 points. Over -110. Under -110
McVay is 4-0 in season openers with the Rams, and he’s had all summer to devise a plan for Stafford and company to attack this solid Bears defense. Meanwhile, the Rams’ defense led the NFL in 2020 with just 4.7 yards allowed per play, and they led the league in sack percentage as well. Look for the Rams to cruise against a hobbled Bears offense still looking for chemistry.
Free Pick: Rams -7.5 (-110)
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