NFL Betting Advice – Washington vs St. Louis

TheWashington Redskins just absorbed a wrenching overtime loss to the Houston Texans. If you’re giving out some NFL betting advice, tell them they need to shrug off that setback as they go to St. Louis.

Washington Redskins @ St. Louis Rams

Sunday, September 26th – 4:05 PM ET

Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 60% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? Find out more exciting details HERE.]

Broadcast: FOX

NFL Odds: Redskins -3.5, Rams +3.5

Total: 39

It’s not every day that a quarterback throws for 426 yards and no interceptions. It’s even more rare for a quarterback to post those two statistics and walk off the field with a loss. Yet, that’s exactly what happened to Donovan McNabb on September 19. The new field general for the Washington Redskins fell to Matt Schaub and the Houston Texans, 30-27, in the wildest game of week two in the NFL.

Washington led, 27-10, late in the third quarter, and though Houston never procured a turnover from the Redskins’ offense, the Texas were able to block a field goal and shut out Washington in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Schaub – who threw for 497 yards – rallied his team to a tie and then won the game in overtime after Washington kicker Graham Gano missed a 52-yard field goal after being iced by Houston coach Gary Kubiak.

This is the kind of stomach-punch loss that can affect a team’s confidence. Washington needs to move on in week three – the Redskins will be in huge trouble if they can’t beat the beleaguered St. Louis Rams.

NFL Betting Advice: What The Redskins Have To Do To Win

For Washington, the equation is very simple against an opponent as toothless as the Rams: If Donovan McNabb plays anywhere close to the level he displayed against Houston, this will not be much of a ballgame. St. Louis is breaking in a rookie quarterback – Sam Bradford – this season, and is making the No. 1 draft pick learn the ropes under center.

If the Rams are going to treat this season as an extended training session for their franchise passer, the Redskins can be confident that St. Louis won’t be scoring 30 points a game anytime soon. A solid showing from McNabb, without a high completion percentage and no turnovers, will certainly get the job done this Sunday in a climate-controlled environment.

NFL Betting Advice: What The Rams Have To Do To Win

Because the Rams – losers to two of the NFL’s more mediocre teams (Arizona will be bad this year, and Oakland has been bad for a long time) – show absolutely no signs of doing anything impressive on offense, the key for coach Steve Spagnuolo’s team is to coax turnovers from McNabb and Washington running back Clinton Portis.

Spagnuolo is a defensive guru who knows McNabb quite intimately, dating back to his days as the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion (2007 season) New York Giants. If the Rams’ braintrust can come up with the right mix of defensive packages, McNabb could throw into disguised coverages and surrender a number of game-changing interceptions.

The Rams need their defense and special teams to either score or set up points. That’s the only realistic route to victory in this contest.

NFL Betting Advice: Outlook & Pick

The Rams won’t get their defensive touchdowns or special-teams plays. The Redskins won’t be spectacular, but they’ll be solid and efficient, and they’ll cover the number without too much of a problem.

NFL Betting Advice: Redskins -3.5

Check out the latest football game lines in the sportsbook, click here.