Detroit Lions predictions vs. Los Angeles Rams: How bad does Matthew Stafford torch them?

Free Press sports writers make predictions for the Sunday's Detroit Lions' game, as they make their first trip to SoFi Stadium to face Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif. in Week 7 of the NFL season (4:05 p.m. Fox).

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Jeff Seidel

Forget, for a second, the Matthew Stafford reunion. The Lions still don’t have an offense that can score. The Lions defense has shown flickers of life — like in the first half against the Bengals – but this is the Rams. And Stafford will want to make a point. Pick: Rams 37, Lions 14

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Shawn Windsor

You want it to get ugly on some level, don't you? Unless you were never a Matthew Stafford fan. And that's fine. What won't be fine is the talent difference Sunday in Los Angeles, especially at quarterback. At least the Rams will put the game away early. Pick: Rams 37, Lions 9

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Carlos Monarrez

This one’s going to be ugly and the Lions, for a second straight week, won’t be in the game. But at least this will come on the road and at the hands of one of the NFL’s best offenses, so the Lions won’t have to endure any booing. With all-world defensive tackle Aaron Donald up front, the Rams have a top-10 run defense. But overall, L.A.’s defense has underperformed and ranks just 21st overall in yards, though it’s tied for ninth in scoring. This is the wrong game for Jared Goff to play if he’s looking to bounce back from last week’s poor showing. It’s going to be tough to watch for Lions fans, but at least Matthew Stafford should be on the sidelines in the fourth quarter after he’s thrown his fourth touchdown. Pick: Rams 37, Lions 16

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Dave Birkett

Two-touchdown favorites are rare in the NFL, but that’s exactly what the Rams are Sunday — and for good reason. From a roster standpoint, the Rams have an edge over the Lions at almost every position on the field. Matthew Stafford is playing some of the best football of his career, the Lions do not match up well against the Rams' plethora of weapons, and Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are two of the premier defensive playmakers in the league. The Lions need to be successful on first and second down on offense, and defensively, force Stafford into mistakes to have a chance. Maybe Jared Goff plays out of his mind against his old team. More likely, the Rams win this one in a walk. Pick: Rams 31, Lions 14

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions-Rams predictions: Matthew Stafford torches them