Predicting the Final Score of Oakland Raiders vs. St. Louis Rams

As we head into Week 13, the Oakland Raiders (1-10) get set to battle NFC West’s St. Louis Rams (4-7). Both teams stand in fourth place of their divisions, and both are out of play0ff contention with the Rams’ 27-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers last week. The Raiders have nothing to play for but pride, but expect them to keep pushing the throttle against the Rams this coming Sunday.

Even though the Rams only have four wins, three of them have been against some real competitors. The Rams squeezed past the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, then beat division rivals San Francisco 49ers two weeks later. The Rams’ most impressive win by far this season came against the Denver Broncos by a score of 22-7. Rams quarterback Shaun Hill has put on impressive performances as of late and looks to continue against the Raiders.

If it wasn’t for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr‘s final drive last Thursday, their losing streak would be at 17 now. In this matchup, the Raiders have an edge on the ground with their new found talent Latavius Murray. On just four carries, the second-year man ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on the Kansas City Chiefs. Assuming he’s ready to go, you can expect the Raiders to bump him up to the starting role against the Rams. The Raiders are currently ranked last in rushing yards with an average of 73 yards per game, but Murray’s performance made the number meaningless and he needs a big game for the Raiders.

The Rams’ offense is mediocre for most NFL teams, but they’re playing against the Raiders which means they have the upper hand in every category. Rams’ rookie running back Tre Mason looks to bounce back from his 64-yard performance last week against the Chargers. Mason has been solid in the backfield for the Rams, and with a weak Raiders defense, Mason could be explosive.

These teams are heading into this matchup with two different mindsets. Even though the Raiders only have one win, it came against a good Chiefs squad last week so they’ll make that push for that second one. The Rams, on the other hand, are coming off a loss that dimmed their playoff chances, so they might seem a little deflated.

For both teams, this game will be decided on the ground. Which ever team can take advantage of the run game will come out on top.

Final Score Prediction: Rams 24, Raiders 20

John Tolis is an Oakland Raiders writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_TOLIS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.