Editor’s note: This is the Wednesday Aug. 10, 2022 edition of the Game Day with Kevin Modesti newsletter. It’s also the debut of the newsletter! To receive Game Day in your inbox, sign up here.

Good morning, and welcome to our new and improved sports newsletter. I’m Kevin Modesti, your host for this daily guide to Southern California sports and the Southern California News Group’s coverage.

Today, in the papers and online, Gilbert Manzano writes about Rams coach Sean McVay’s new contract, Jeff Fletcher is on the road with the Angels for Shohei Ohtani’s latest milestones, J.P. Hoornstra puts the Dodgers’ scalding pace in perspective, and John W. Davis covers the end of the Sparks’ realistic playoff hopes. Lakers writer Kyle Goon previews “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,” the documentary that debuts Monday on Hulu. And if you missed it, read columnist Mirjam Swanson’s take on the Sparks being stranded at the airport.

Hope you’re following the Rams’ preseason ups and downs through Manzano, who’s going to make you forget our old Rams writer. Matthew Stafford has been limited in training camp by a sore arm, and Jalen Ramsey started camp slowly after shoulder surgery. It made me wonder how their chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions are looking to people who put their money where their mouths are – sports bettors.

Right now, the odds against the Rams winning next February’s Super Bowl are 10-1, 11-1 or 12-1, fourth or fifth in the betting depending on the sportsbook, according to the sports handicapping information site Covers.com. That’s interesting because only one defending champion in the past eight years has been so lightly regarded, according to sportsoddshistory.com. The 2016 Denver Broncos were 20-1, 11th in the betting – but remember, those Broncos had just lost Peyton Manning to retirement.

I got in touch with Josh Inglis, a betting analyst with the sports handicapping information site Covers.com, and asked if the Rams arebeing disrespected by gamblers.

No, Inglis said. The Rams have real question marks.

“If I knew that Stafford and Ramsey would be healthy for the season and the (offensive) line picked up where it left off last season, I’d have noissues with the Rams at +1,000 (10-1),” Inglis said. “It’s the unknowns that scare me as a bettor with this top-heavy club that has added just one pick in the top 100 of the draft in the past two seasons.”

Inglis notes that the Rams needed a strong finish to earn the No. 4 seed in the NFC and a string of close victories to winthe title in 2021, and now their schedule goes from average strength to one of the hardest.

“The losses of Von Miller, Andrew Whitworth, Robert Woods and OBJ (Odell Beckham Jr.) are significant at different points of the ball,” Inglis said. “This is a team that lacks depth behind Stafford and Ramsey, and any significant injury to a starter could hurt (them) more than other clubs.”

As a bettor, Inglis said, “Stafford’s elbow issue has me running for the hills” given the Rams’ hard early schedule.

By the way, the Chargers are consensus 14-1 shots, sixth in the betting, to win the Super Bowl.

It’s up to the Rams to prove experts like Inglis wrong. That’s what they did last season. They were 12-1 in the odds a year ago.

“I’m pretty sure we weren’t (favored) then either,” Rams linebacker Ernest Jones said when I asked him about it last week. “It’ll work itself out.”

TODAY

The streaking Dodgers – nine wins in a row – host the Minnesota Twins (7:10 p.m., SNLA).
The streaking Angels – two straight wins, matching their best since Mike Trout got hurt – can cap a good trip by beating the Oakland Athletics (12:37 p.m., BSW).
Angel City meets Tigres (7 p.m., Banc of California Stadium, BSSC) in a friendly match between teams in the U.S. and Mexican women’s leagues. Damian Calhoun explains.
LAFC’s Carlos Vela, Elie Sanchez and Diego Palacios and the Galaxy’s Javier Hernandez are among the MLS All-Stars taking on the Mexican league all-stars in St. Paul, Minn. (5:30 p.m., ESPN, TUDN).

QUESTION OF THE DAY

The Rams and Chargers are getting ready to play a preseason game Saturday at SoFi Stadium. Which of L.A.’s NFL teams will go farther this season? Respond with an email to [email protected].

280 CHARACTERS

The WNBA maintains charter flights would unfairly benefit some teams. But playing a sixth game in 10 days on airplane fumes? Also a disadvantage.

If charter flights are a no, the W should at least build a better buffer for inevitable travel delays. https://t.co/uNeEET7xT4

— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) August 9, 2022

1,000 WORDS

USC coach Lincoln Riley gets a close-up look at wide receiver Mario Williams’ moves during practice at Howard Jones Field last Friday in this photo by contributor Axel Koester.

TALK TO ME

Again, welcome to our new-look sports newsletter. I look forward to your comments, questions and suggestions on any sports topic. Email me at [email protected].

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