New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams Picks and Prediction for Saturday August 22, 2026

The New Orleans Saints travel to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to face the Los Angeles Rams in NFL preseason Week 2 on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT). New Orleans enters at 0-1 following a 24-20 loss to Jacksonville, while Los Angeles is 1-0 after defeating Kansas City 20-12 in its preseason opener. Be ready for all the NFL action this year with our free NFL picks.

The betting market has moved since opening. New Orleans initially opened as a small favorite, while a more recent listing had Los Angeles -2.5, with the Rams around -130 on the moneyline and New Orleans +110. The total was 37.5 points. With Los Angeles coming off the cleaner Week 1 performance and getting this game at home, we'll use Los Angeles -2.5 and Under 37.5 as the selections.

Saints Showed Some Offensive Promise in Week 1

New Orleans opened its preseason with a 24-20 home loss to Jacksonville, with many of the top players for both teams sitting. The Saints had opportunities to win the game and were still threatening on the final possession before their last pass fell incomplete in the end zone. It was a competitive opening performance, but New Orleans couldn't quite finish the comeback after leading 20-6 at halftime.

The Saints used three quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler started and completed 8 of 11 passes for 42 yards but lost a fumble. Zach Wilson provided the strongest quarterback performance, going 11 of 16 for 145 yards and one touchdown, while Hunter Dekkers completed 8 of 15 passes for 69 yards during the final portion of the game. Bub Means led the receiving production with four catches for 77 yards, while Barion Brown added four receptions for 53 yards.

There were encouraging defensive and special-teams moments as well. New Orleans recorded four sacks, with Michael Heldman producing two, while Jaylan Ford and Jayden Price each recorded an interception. The Saints also received an 86-yard opening kickoff return from Ty Chandler. The combination of quarterback production and defensive pressure suggests New Orleans has enough depth to stay competitive, but the Saints now face a Rams team whose reserve quarterback play was one of the stronger performances of the opening preseason week.

Rams Enter Week 2 After Beating Kansas City

Los Angeles started the preseason with a 20-12 road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams didn't need their established stars to produce a strong result, and that matters considerably when evaluating preseason football. Los Angeles was able to win at Arrowhead Stadium while giving extensive playing time to players fighting for roster positions.

Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson was one of the biggest stories of the game. Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, an extremely efficient performance in his first NFL preseason appearance. Both touchdown passes went to Dean Connors. The accuracy and efficiency of Simpson's performance were particularly notable and give Los Angeles an intriguing quarterback advantage when the game moves deeper into the reserve rotations.

The Rams also have the advantage of returning home after winning their opener on the road. Preseason home field isn't something to overvalue, but quarterback depth absolutely matters, and Los Angeles showed it could generate sustained offensive production without relying on its regular-season stars. The Saints were competitive against Jacksonville, but they also allowed 18 unanswered points in the second half. Los Angeles enters Week 2 with the better result and arguably the more impressive quarterback performance from Week 1.

New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams Picks and Prediction

Pick: Los Angeles Rams -2.5

The pick is Los Angeles Rams -2.5. New Orleans showed enough against Jacksonville to make this competitive, especially with Wilson playing efficiently, but Los Angeles' quarterback depth is the deciding factor. Simpson completed 84% of his attempts in the opener while throwing two touchdowns, and the Rams won by eight points on the road. With Los Angeles now playing at SoFi Stadium and the spread still below a field goal, Rams -2.5 is the preferred side.

Pick: Under 37.5

The total pick is Under 37.5. The Rams allowed only 12 points in their opener, while the Saints scored 20 despite getting a strong performance from Wilson and an 86-yard kickoff return that helped create favorable field position. New Orleans also demonstrated some defensive playmaking with four sacks and two interceptions. There is enough quarterback talent here to make the over dangerous, but preseason rotations and Los Angeles' Week 1 defensive performance push the handicap toward Under 37.5.

Prediction: Los Angeles Rams 20, New Orleans Saints 16