The Rams are positioned well to head into their Week 9 bye at 6-2. The only team standing in their way is the Miami Dolphins, who they’ll visit on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.

However, as close as the bye week is, the Rams cannot afford to overlook the 3-3 Dolphins. This has the makings of a classic trap game for L.A., and the oddsmakers seem to know it.

Surprisingly, the Rams are only 3.5-point favorites over Miami, which is starting a rookie quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. Given how well the Rams have played this season, and how inconsistent the Dolphins have been, that spread is definitely on the lower side.

It’s because there are things working against the Rams, which can sneak up on them and lead to a loss in Week 8.

First, there’s the travel effect. The Rams are once again heading to the East Coast for a 1 p.m. ET game. Yes, they’re 6-1 in these games since 2017, but this is their fourth in eight weeks. All that travel has to be taking a toll on the Rams, who have had just three home games so far.

Then you have to account for the fact that Miami is coming off a bye week. Teams are statistically better after having a week off to prepare for their upcoming opponent, giving them an advantage in the game-planning department. Add in the fact that the Rams are on a short week after playing Monday night against the Bears, and the amount of rest each team has gotten leading up to this game is vastly different.

The Dolphins’ quarterback situation isn’t working in the Rams’ favor, either. Shockingly, Miami benched Ryan Fitzpatrick for Tagovailoa last week, promoting the rookie to first-string. The Rams knew what they would get if Fitzpatrick were under center – a gunslinger with a propensity for taking shots and making mistakes with the football – but there’s far more unknown that comes with Tagovailoa.

He’s attempted two passes in the NFL, so there isn’t exactly much film to watch on him. So the Rams have gone all the way back to Tagovailoa’s Alabama tape as a way to study the rookie quarterback. Plus, he’s a lefty, which is just another wrench thrown into the equation.

Defensively, Brian Flores has this group rolling. And he’s already shut down Sean McVay’s offense once before, doing so in Super Bowl LIII when Flores was with the Patriots. The Rams have evolved since then, but he’s at least somewhat familiar with McVay’s scheme. He once again has a shutdown cornerback in Xavien Howard, but Byron Jones is equally good in coverage, if not better.

The Rams should beat the Dolphins, probably by a touchdown. They should be able to rattle Tagovailoa with Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and the rest of their defensive stars. But this is a perfect example of a potential trap game – and the Rams can’t fall for it.