Rams Aim to Become Just the 4th Super Bowl Loser to Cover Week 1 Since 2000
- The defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams are 1.5-point favorites to beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday
- The last 19 Super Bowl losers are 3-16 against the spread in the opener the season following their loss in the big game
- The Rams are 0-2 straight up and ATS in season openers following a Super Bowl loss
History is not on the side of the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were 13-3 losers to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 53.
Facing the Carolina Panthers in Sunday’s season opener, LA is the 1.5-point chalk in the Rams vs Panthers full odds.
However, the legacy of Super Bowl losers suggests that the Rams will get rubbed out.
Over the last 19 NFL campaigns, losing Super Bowl teams are 3-16 against the spread when opening the season following their Super Bowl setback. Straight up, Super Bowl losers are 7-12 straight up in season openers the year after their setback in the big game.
Los Angeles Rams vs Carolina Panthers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | -125 | -1.5 (-109) | Over 50.0 (-109) |
| Carolina Panthers | +105 | +1.5 (-109) | Under 50.0 (-109) |
Odds taken 9/07/19.
The Rams are 0-2 both SU and ATS in season openers following a Super Bowl loss.
Patriots Stopped Super Bowl Skid
Last season, the New England Patriots, Super Bowl 53 losers to the Philadelphia Eagles, got the Super Bowl failures back on the winning track. As 6.5-point favorites over the Houston Texans, the Pats won and covered, posting a 27-20 victory.
Super Bowl Losers in Next Season’s NFL Opener since 2000
| Season | Team | SU | ATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | New England Patriots | W | W |
| 2017 | Atlanta Falcons | W | L |
| 2016 | Carolina Panthers | L | L |
| 2015 | Seattle Seahawks | L | L |
| 2014 | Denver Broncos | W | L |
| 2013 | San Francisco 49ers | W | W |
| 2012 | New England Patriots | W | W |
| 2011 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L | L |
| 2010 | Indianapolis Colts | L | L |
| 2009 | Arizona Cardinals | L | L |
| 2008 | New England Patriots | W | L |
| 2007 | Chicago Bears | L | L |
| 2006 | Seattle Seahawks | W | L |
| 2005 | Philadelphia Eagles | L | L |
| 2004 | Carolina Panthers | L | L |
| 2003 | Oakland Raiders | L | L |
| 2002 | St. Louis Rams | L | L |
| 2001 | New York Giants | L | L |
| 2000 | Tennessee Titans | L | L |
It was the first time since the 2013 San Francisco 49ers, who beat the Green Bay Packers 34-28 as five-point favorites, that a Super Bowl losing finalist won and covered in Week 1 the following season.
Other than the New England Patriots, Super Bowl losers that open on the road are 0-9 ATS since 2002. Can the LA Rams break the trend? #SDQL pic.twitter.com/3ojOQfymyM
— PickSixtySports (@PickSixtySports) September 7, 2019
But you have to go back to 2012, when the Patriots opened at Tennessee as the 6.5-point chalk and downed the Titans 34-13, to find a Super Bowl loser that opened the season with a win and also covered while playing on the road.
Rams Haven’t Fared Well in this Scenario
This is the third time that the Rams are entering an NFL season as the team that lost the previous year’s Super Bowl. No only are they looking to open the season by covering the spread for the first time, they’ve also lost straight up on both previous occasions.
After losing Super Bowl 36 by a 20-17 count to the Patriots, the St. Louis Rams opened the 2002 season as three-point favorites at Denver. But they were beaten 23-16 by the Broncos.
The Los Angeles Rams were dropped 31-19 in Super Bowl 14 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Rams opened the 1980 NFL season at home as the solid nine-point chalk against a Detroit Lions team coming off a 2-14 campign. But it was the Lions who did the drubbing. blasting LA 41-20 in the NFL debut of 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims.
Take the Panthers
Carolina, like the Rams, is 0-2 both SU and ATS in season openers after losing the Super Bowl. But the Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings with the Rams.
1 – Super Bowl loser is 3-16 ATS in Week 1 the following season
2 – Rams have scored 79 points in the 2 season opening games under McVay
3- Panthers have won 3 straight home games vs the Rams. (Last loss 2001)
— Bobby Rosinski (@BobbyRosinski) September 6, 2019
Take the points and play the Panthers to win outright.
Pick: Panthers +1.5 (-109); Panthers Moneyline (+105)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
