New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams Picks and Prediction for Saturday, August 22, 2026
The New Orleans Saints visit the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at SoFi Stadium, with the opening kickoff at 4:00 PM ET. New Orleans is 0-1 in the preseason after losing 24-20 to Jacksonville last Saturday. Los Angeles is 1-0 following a 20-12 road win over Kansas City. The Saints received a strong performance from Zach Wilson while evaluating their backup quarterbacks, while first-round pick Ty Simpson impressed during extended work for the Rams. Both teams have important roster decisions remaining before the regular season. Be a winner with our free NFL picks.
New Orleans Saints Continue Backup Quarterback Battle
New Orleans led Jacksonville 20-6 at halftime before allowing 18 unanswered points in the second half. Wilson completed 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, connecting on several downfield throws. Spencer Rattler started and went 8 of 11 for 42 yards but lost a fumble. Audric Estime scored on a nine-yard run before leaving with an injury, while rookie tight end Oscar Delp caught Wilson’s touchdown pass. The Saints finished without scoring in the second half.
The backup quarterback competition behind Tyler Shough remains one of the most important evaluations for New Orleans. Wilson is trying to move ahead of Rattler after showing his ability to attack downfield in the opener. Wide receiver also has several roster decisions, with Bryce Lance, Barion Brown and other young options competing for roles behind Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson. The Saints are also evaluating their kicker competition between Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown after Smyth missed from 52 yards against Jacksonville.
Los Angeles Rams Give Ty Simpson Another Opportunity
Los Angeles rested its established starters against Kansas City and still produced a 20-12 victory. Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns during more than two quarters of action. Both scoring passes went to Dean Connors as the rookie quarterback helped the Rams score 14 fourth-quarter points. Stetson Bennett completed 4 of 6 passes for 36 yards during his quarter of work. The Rams did not score a touchdown until Simpson and the reserves broke through late.
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The Rams drafted Simpson 13th overall, creating a competition with Bennett for the backup role behind Matthew Stafford. Simpson’s first performance gives Sean McVay another reason to provide the rookie with meaningful preseason snaps. Los Angeles has traditionally rested important starters during exhibition games, creating more opportunities for younger players and roster hopefuls. Offensive tackle Keagen Trost is another player to monitor after the third-round pick suffered a hamstring injury against Kansas City while starting at right tackle.
What to Watch
New Orleans has a clear reason to continue giving Wilson and Rattler substantial work. Wilson made the stronger opening argument with 145 passing yards, while Rattler needs to respond after his turnover. Their competition should keep the Saints passing offense active throughout much of Saturday’s game.
Los Angeles has a similar evaluation behind Stafford. Simpson looked comfortable in his NFL debut, completing 84% of his passes and leading the late comeback. Another long appearance would allow the Rams to see whether the rookie can follow that performance against a different defense.
New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams Game Pick
- New Orleans Saints -1.5
New Orleans -1.5 is the game pick because the Saints have two backup quarterbacks receiving meaningful evaluation time. Wilson threw for 145 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville, while Rattler completed eight of 11 passes despite his costly fumble. The Rams were impressive behind Simpson, but Los Angeles rested its important starters and could follow a similar plan Saturday. New Orleans scored 20 points in the first half of its opener, and continued competition between Wilson and Rattler gives the Saints enough quarterback depth to cover the small spread.
New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams Over/Under Pick
- Over 37.5
Over 37.5 is the total pick after the teams combined for 56 points across their separate preseason openers. New Orleans scored 20 against Jacksonville and received 187 passing yards from Wilson and Rattler, while Los Angeles scored 20 behind its reserve quarterbacks. Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes and threw two touchdowns, giving the Rams a productive option for extended preseason work. The Saints also allowed 18 unanswered second-half points last week. With active quarterback competitions creating meaningful snaps, these offenses have enough scoring potential to cash over the closing line of 37.5.
