Week 16 of the NFL season will kick off with a Thursday Night battle between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
The NFL playoffs are right around the corner, with every matchup holding some additional weight. This is especially the case in this game, with these teams tied for the top spot in the NFC West with an 11-3 record. Los Angeles has officially clinched a postseason opportunity, and Seattle officially will with a victory. But this matchup will play a major role in seedings, with the victory providing the clear path to the top seed in the NFC, while the other will likely have to play on the road for their postseason path.
Looking at the odds, the Seahawks enter as 1.5-point favorites with -115 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Rams hold -105 odds of pulling off the outright upset, with the game total set at 42.5 points.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action outside of backing a side or total. Here’s a look at the top player prop bets for TNF in Week 16.
Rams at Seahawks Best Prop Bets
Puka Nacua to Record 100+ Receiving Yards (+115)
The Los Angeles Rams are a pass-first offense that ranks second in passing yards, first in passing touchdowns, and third in net yards per pass attempt this year. But this outlook takes a notable hit with Davante Adams suffering a hamstring injury last week that will keep him out for this game and likely beyond. It has been a strong year for Adams, who has pulled in 60 receptions for 789 yards and an NFL-best 14 touchdowns this season.
But this leaves even more responsibility on Puka Nacua, who has had a legitimate case for being the best wide receiver in football. The BYU product has tallied 102 receptions for 1,367 yards and six receiving scores. Nacua is averaging 105.2 receiving yards per game, and he has recorded triple-digit yards in five games this year.
During the first matchup between these two teams, Nacua pulled in seven receptions for 75 yards. Seattle has a strong overall defense that ranks second in points allowed and fourth in yards given up this season. They also rank seventh in passing yards conceded, eighth in passing touchdowns allowed, and lead the league in net yards per pass attempt. There is no doubt that the Seahawks have a strong defense, but Nacua is the caliber of talent that can overcome this. He tallied a season-high 181 receiving yards last week and had 167 the week prior. Expect Matthew Stafford to target him at an extremely high rate with Adams sidelined and for Nacua to maintain this level of output. The Pro Bowl wide receiver has seen double-digit targets in seven of the 13 games this year and should be in line for this level of work rate. Count on Nacua to make the most of these chances and tally 100+ yards for the sixth time this season as the clear top passing option.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Over 6.5 Receptions (-118)
On the other side of this star wide receiving matchup, Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be looking for a strong finish to his excellent season. The Ohio State product has pulled in 96 receptions on the season for an NFL-best 1,541 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He ranks fourth in the league in targets, fourth in receptions, and first in receiving yards across the entire NFL.
The Rams’ defense does not offer as intimidating a matchup. Los Angeles ranks third in points allowed, but 13th in yards conceded this season. They are most vulnerable against the pass, ranking 19th in passing yards allowed and 12th in passing touchdowns conceded. During the first matchup between these two teams, Smith-Njigba pulled in nine receptions on 12 targets for 105 receiving yards. This also came while Sam Darnold was in full meltdown mode, throwing four interceptions in his worst performance of the season.
Smith-Njigba is a crucial part of the Seattle attack and will continue to see a high rate of targets his way. He has tallied over 6.5 receptions in 10 of the 14 games played. Even amid Darnold’s turnover disaster in the previous matchup between these two teams, Smith-Njigba still tied his season-high with nine receptions. Expect a bit of a smoother operation from the quarterback this week and for the star wide receiver to maintain his high level of target share. Count on Smith-Njigba to tally over 6.5 receptions for the 11th time this season and third consecutive week.
Kyren Williams Anytime Touchdown (+115)
The loss of Adams will be notable all over the field but especially felt in the red zone for Los Angeles. Adams leads the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns and has a league-leading 31 targets inside the 20-yard line this year. The Rams have been dependent on their passing game to punch the ball in the end zone for most of this season, but this calculus will change based on the injury. Count on Kyren Williams being a guy who sees his level of opportunity grow as a result.
Overall this season, the Rams rank first in passing touchdowns and seventh in rushing scores. Kyren Williams has 10 rushing touchdowns and 13 total scores to his name already this season. The Notre Dame product has reached the end zone in three straight games and has eight touchdowns over his past seven weeks. Williams has 40 rush attempts in the red zone this season, which ranks ninth in the NFL. His 15 rush attempts inside the 10-yard line are also tied for the fourth-most.
While Blake Corum can be a threat to vulture a touchdown, there is enough of a sample size of Williams being the primary back to still trust him. Seattle has done a nice job stopping opponents from scoring this year, but the Rams are as dynamic an offense as you will find. It feels impossible to keep them entirely in check, and Los Angeles will surely put some level of points on the board. Count on Williams being a major beneficiary and seeing several red zone opportunities this week. His role will be scaled up with Adams sidelined, and it’s back on Williams to continue leaning on his powerful style of running to get past the goal line for the fourth straight week and 14th time this season.
