Rams at New Orleans Saints: Who has the edge?

RAMS (5-6) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-7)

When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday

Where: Superdome, New Orleans

TV/radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 382, 226

Line: Rams by 3.5

Notable injury designations

Rams: OUT: TE Tyler Higbee (knee), OL KT Leveston (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: OL Alaric Jackson (foot), OLB Nick Hampton (triceps).

Saints: OUT: OL Lucas Patrick (calf); QUESTIONABLE: C Erik McCoy (groin), RB Jamaal Williams (groin), DL Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles).

What’s at stake? With just six games left in the season, the Rams can’t afford to fall two games below .500 as they try to keep their NFC West title hopes alive. Behind the Cardinals and Seahawks by a game in the divisional race, the Rams need to beat the Saints – one of three teams left on their schedule with losing records – to keep within a reasonable striking distance.

Who’s better? The Rams, despite their many inconsistencies, are the better, more balanced team. The Saints, after all, fired head coach Dennis Allen midseason as injuries erased the good vibes around New Orleans following a 2-0 start to the season thanks to an explosive offense.

Matchup to watch: Saints RB Alvin Kamara vs. Rams’ run defense. The Rams were gashed in a 37-20 loss last week by Saquon Barkley, rushing for an Eagles-record 255 yards as the Rams front didn’t stay gap sound, putting linebackers and defensive backs in difficult positions. They will get an immediate chance at redemption against another high-powered back in Kamara, who is still managing 4.3 yards per carry despite a litany of injuries along the New Orleans offensive line.

Rams win if: They convert at least 40% of their third-down opportunities on offense. … They average more than 4.0 yards per carry behind RB Kyren Williams. … They can bottle up Saints tight end and utility man Taysom Hill after he exploded for 138 rushing yards in the Saints’ previous game.

Fantasy sleeper: WR Tutu Atwell. The fourth-year receiver popped up in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s loss to the Eagles as a reliable option in the Rams’ hurry-up offense. He could see an uptick in usage Sunday, especially following Demarcus Robinson’s Monday arrest for suspicion of DUI.

Prediction: Rams 27, Saints 13. Beat reporter’s record: 8-3 for the season; 6-5 against the spread.

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