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The Tyler Shough era begins for the New Orleans Saints this weekend as the Saints head west to take on the Los Angeles Rams. With a logjam at the top of the NFC West, this is a good opportunity for the Rams to stay in the thick of the division title race.

In last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Saints benched Spencer Rattler in favor of the rookie Shough. Now, coach Kellen Moore has declared that Shough will be the starter in Week 9 and moving forward. The question is whether Shough can elevate an offense that has failed to hit 20 points in six of its nine games. With Puka Nacua expected to return for the Rams this week, the Saints defense will also face a tall task as it goes up against veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Rams are coming off a bye week, and they are getting healthier. Nacua missed the team's London blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars with an ankle injury, but coach Sean McVay said he anticipates having his star receiver back this weekend. Right before the bye, the Los Angeles defense was really heating up. It allowed a combined 10 points to the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens and the Jaguars. That may not bode well for Shough.

Everything you need to know about this NFC matchup can be found below.

Where to watch Saints vs. Rams live

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 2 | Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
  • Location: SoFi Stadium -- Los Angeles
  • TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
  • Follow along: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Rams -14; O/U 43.5 (via DraftKings)

Saints vs. Rams: Need to know

Shough gets his first start: A second-round pick out of Louisville in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shough will get his first pro start this weekend. After relieving Rattler against the Bucs last weekend, Shough completed 17 of his 30 passes for 128 yards and an interception. Things won't get any easier for the rookie this week as he faces one of the best defenses in the league. Can Moore help Shough get some easy completions and find a rhythm early to ease his nerves?

Keeping up with the NFC West: The NFC West joins the AFC West as the only divisions in the league with three five-win teams at this point in the season. The Rams (5-2) are trying to keep up with the Seattle Seahawks (5-2) and the San Francisco 49ers (5-3) every week. That means the Rams can't afford to drop games they should win, and this matchup with the Saints certainly falls into that category.

Rams defense is eating: The Rams offense gets a lot off attention, and that's warranted, but their defense has been dominant to this point. That unit ranks first in sacks per game (3.7) and red zone touchdown rate (40%), second in points allowed per game (16.7) and third-down conversion rate (30.4%). Given that the Rams are facing a rookie quarterback who struggled in his first real action last week, those numbers could be even better when Week 9 is in the books.

Saints vs. Rams prediction, pick

The spread on this game is massive with the Rams being 14-point favorites over the Saints. That's a big number, and I worry about the Saints kicking in the back door at the buzzer. That being the case, I will look at the Over/Under of 43.5. It's hard to see New Orleans lighting up the scoreboard, and with a critical game against the 49ers on deck, the Rams may be content to get a multiple score game and sit on it the rest of the way. Pick: Under 43.5 points