Rams vs. Chargers Preseason Week 3: Ty Simpson-Stetson Bennett Backup QB Battle Highlights SoFi Stadium Finale

The preseason finale between the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers kicks off Thursday night at SoFi Stadium, and for once the shared building isn’t the strangest part of this rivalry. Both teams enter with a backup quarterback job still up for grabs, and Thursday is the last real evidence anyone gets before the 53-man roster deadline hits this weekend. The Rams arrive 2-0 in the preseason, the Chargers 1-1, but neither record matters nearly as much as who’s left standing at the bottom of each depth chart when the lights go out.

Why the Chargers Are Favored in a Game Nobody’s Trying to Win

Oddsmakers have Los Angeles’ home team — nominally the Chargers, even though both clubs play at SoFi — as roughly 3.5-to-4-point favorites, with the total sitting around 38.5. Lines like that in Week 3 preseason football are more about roster construction than talent evaluation; sportsbooks know starters won’t play long, if at all, and the number reflects which team’s backups are considered more game-ready right now. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has called this a “dress rehearsal,” meaning some starters could see six to nine snaps to shake off rust, while Rams coach Sean McVay has been far more committal about resting his top players.

Sun, Oct 18 • 4:05 PM	Spread	Money	Total
Arizona Cardinals	+13 (-112)	+640	O 52.5 (-105)
Los Angeles Rams	-13 (-109)	-750	U 52 (-110)

Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett Are Playing for a Job in Australia

The single most-watched storyline of this game belongs to the Rams. Rookie Ty Simpson, the surprise 13th overall pick in April’s draft, has been chasing fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett IV for the right to back up reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. Simpson turned heads in the preseason opener against Kansas City, going 21-of-25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns, and he’s now up to 29-of-37 for 263 yards and two scores across two games. Bennett answered emphatically in Week 2 against New Orleans, throwing for 181 yards and adding two rushing touchdowns in a blowout win, and he’s carried the majority of second-team practice reps in the days leading into Thursday.

McVay has confirmed Simpson will play in the finale, along with undrafted free agent Matthew Caldwell out of Texas getting his first real look, but Bennett’s snap count is still undecided. That’s notable because McVay has historically kept his No. 2 quarterback out of the preseason finale altogether — a pattern that would suggest Bennett has already locked up the job. Whoever wins gets a real prize beyond a roster spot: the Rams have a game in Australia this season, and McVay has said “one of those guys will be the backup” there.

Chargers Still Haven’t Settled Their QB2 Race Either

Across the way, Justin Herbert’s backup job remains a genuine coin flip between Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei. Harbaugh described the race as “tight” after two preseason games, and neither passer has separated. Uiagalelei went 7-of-15 for 80 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco, while Lance completed 10-of-16 for 73 yards through the air and added 42 rushing yards on the ground, pushing his preseason total to 22-of-36 for 237 yards with one interception. Lance’s athleticism gives him an edge in some projections, but if Thursday doesn’t produce a clear signal, the Chargers have shown before they’re willing to look outside the building for a fix at that spot.

The Defensive Bubble Battles Worth Tracking

Beyond the quarterbacks, both rosters have real jobs on the line. Rams outside linebacker Wesley Bailey has quietly put together one of the better preseasons on the roster with seven tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and four quarterback hits, while cornerback Cam Lampkin is fighting for what may be the final defensive back spot behind Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. The Rams also placed cornerback Zech McPhearson and outside linebacker Keir Thomas on injured reserve this week, ending their 2026 seasons and opening up competition for depth spots. Bettors keeping an eye on how these roster moves affect Week 1 markets can compare a BetMGM promo code against other books before lines firm up.

For the Chargers, inside linebacker Junior Colson is fighting to save his roster spot after an injury-slowed start to his career; he flashed with a pick-six against San Francisco, but Marlowe Wax has outplayed him through camp and become a special-teams fixture. Defensive tackle TeRah Edwards has been disruptive enough to make the Chargers consider carrying a sixth interior lineman, and the wide receiver room behind Ladd McConkey, Tre Harris, Quentin Johnston and Brenen Thompson is still fully up for grabs.

Prediction and Best Bet

Expect backups and bubble players to dictate the entire broadcast, with Simpson and Bennett drawing the most attention in a game McVay is treating as an audition rather than a tune-up. The Chargers’ extra “dress rehearsal” snaps for their starters should give them a slight rhythm advantage early, but this projects as a low-scoring, sloppy affair typical of preseason finales.

• Prediction: Chargers 20, Rams 16
• Best Bet: Chargers -3.5

With more starters expected to see the field for Los Angeles’ AFC side and a Rams roster that’s likely to rest key contributors even further given their perfect preseason record, the Chargers’ game-planning edge on their own field makes them a reasonable side to lean on in a contest defined by roster stakes rather than star power. Bettors weighing a same-game look at the total should also keep an eye on live markets once starting lineups for both sides are confirmed closer to kickoff — a DraftKings promo code or FanDuel promo code can be useful for shopping this line before it moves.