The new year has arrived and with it comes the NFL playoffs. NFL Wild Card Weekend is here with six games taking place across Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Only the Seahawks and Broncos have a bye as they each earned the No. 1 seeds.
Most of the games are projected to be close, but then there’s this one. The Carolina Panthers will host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC’s No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup.
Los Angeles is a 10.5-point favorite and -575 on the moneyline, while Carolina is +425 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 46.5 points.
Here’s a preview, prediction and pick for Saturday’s Rams vs. Panthers matchup.
Rams vs. Panthers prediction, preview
The Rams are not your traditional No. 5 seed. This team battled through the NFC West, easily the toughest division this season, to earn a 12-5 record.
Los Angeles faced the Seahawks and 49ers twice, splitting the season series with both squads. They also faced the Texans (W), Eagles (L), Colts (W in Week 4), Jaguars (W), Panthers (L) and Lions (W). This type of schedule prepares teams for the postseason.
The most notable game of that bunch is between the Rams and Panthers. These two teams faced off in Week 13, when Carolina won 31-28 at home.
Because the Panthers won the NFC South, they get home-field advantage. Carolina is 8-9 overall and 5-3 at home. Meanwhile, the 12-5 Rams are just 5-4 on the road. It’s a bit concerning for Los Angeles as its only key road victory is against the 49ers in Week 10.
This may be the only factor in favor of the Panthers. They don’t have many quality wins, nor did they have as tough of a schedule. Furthermore, the team isn’t as experienced. This is the Panthers’ first playoff appearance since 2017, while the Rams are heading to their third straight postseason.
Rams vs. Panthers pick, best bet
Despite the Panthers winning the first matchup of these squads, the Rams should win this one. That being said, it’s not worthwhile to take Rams moneyline at -575, and Rams -10.5 is a large spread.
There are a handful of bets to hit for this game, including the Panthers +10.5 spread or even taking an alternate Rams spread in a parlay with other legs. While these are good plays, my best bet is the over at 46.5 points.
Los Angeles has the No. 1 offense in terms of points and yards. The Rams scored 30+ points in nine games this season, and this over has hit in 11 of their games, including the previous matchup vs. Carolina.