LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-4) at RAMS (1-4)
When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/radio: CBS (Ch. 2)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 228, 388
Line: Rams by 5.5
Notable injury designations
Raiders: OUT: OG Dylan Parham (foot), LB Tommy Eichenberg (quad), LB Kana’i Mauga (knee); DOUBTFUL: WR Jakobi Meyers (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: DT Adam Butler (knee/illness), DT John Jenkins (illness), RB Zamir White (groin).
Rams: QUESTIONABLE: WR Cooper Kupp (ankle), OL Joe Noteboom (ankle), WR Jordan Whittington (shoulder).
What’s at stake? Both teams are trying to get their seasons back on track, the Rams after a bye week in which they got the chance to reset and the Raiders after trading away star receiver Davante Adams. Winner gets some hope, loser sinks deeper into the hole.
Who’s better? Neither team is at full strength, between injuries on both sides and recent roster moves. But the Rams have the better roster, highlighted by quarterback Matthew Stafford as the Raiders oscillate between quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.
Matchup to watch: Raiders DE Maxx Crosby vs. Rams offensive tackles. In joint practices between the teams a year ago, Crosby was, in a word, menacing. He dominated his matchups with right tackle Rob Havenstein and the left tackles the Rams were rotating through in the practice, and was constantly in the backfield wrapping up quarterback Matthew Stafford, even if he couldn’t bring the QB to the ground. And that’s all without mentioning the fight Crosby started with Cam Akers. Crosby is a game wrecker, and Havenstein and Alaric Jackson will have to be at their best to keep him from getting to Stafford at SoFi Stadium.
Rams win if: They can keep the Raiders’ league-worst rushing attack under control and put pressure on the Las Vegas passing game. … They commit no turnovers. … RB Kyren Williams runs for more than 100 yards.
Fantasy sleeper: Rams QB Matthew Stafford. The veteran QB is 29th in his position in fantasy points scored this year. But with Kupp back after missing the past three games, that opens things up for the rest of Stafford’s targets. That might make for a breakout fantasy performance for Stafford.
Prediction: Rams 27, Raiders 10. Beat reporter’s record: 3-2 for the season; 2-3 against the spread.
