NFL Wild Card Weekend kicks off with a matchup between the Rams and Panthers. It’s the most lopsided game of the weekend, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be entertaining.
These teams met earlier this year with the Panthers winning 31-28. The Rams return to Carolina for a rematch.
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 46.5 points.
Here are my favorite player props for this Wild Card Weekend game between the Rams and Panthers.
Rams vs. Panthers Best Prop Bets
Matthew Stafford 2+ passing touchdowns and 240+ passing yards parlay (-130)
Let’s start the Rams vs. Panthers prop bets with a Matthew Stafford parlay. He’s an MVP candidate thanks to his impressive offensive resume this year. The veteran quarterback leads the NFL with 4,707 yards and 46 passing touchdowns. He recorded about 150 more passing yards and 12 touchdowns than second place Jared Goff.
Given these stats, it’s difficult to choose between his standard passing touchdowns prop (2.5) and passing yards (265.5). Either are good single bets, and combined they would yield +228 odds in a parlay. That said, I’m opting for two alternative lines in a parlay for -130 odds.
Stafford has recorded at least two passing touchdowns in 15 of 17 games this season, and he’s surpassed 240 passing yards in 13 of 17 games. He hit both marks in the Week 13 game against the Panthers. The playoffs are a different animal, of course, but Stafford is capable of maintaining his excellence in the postseason.
He showcased this in all three playoff trips with the Rams, including the Super Bowl victory. He recorded at least two passing touchdowns in all seven playoff games with Los Angeles. He had over 240 passing yards in five of those games. This same dominance should come out in the rematch against Carolina.
Rico Dowdle under 45.5 rushing yards (-110)
The Panthers’ offense ranks 27th in points and yards, but their run game got plenty of attention this year. Not because it was particularly good, but because Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle traded starting spots a few times.
Dowdle has the starting job now, but he hasn’t been great. He had 10 yards on seven carries in an important Week 18 game. This was easily his worst performance, but he’s been inefficient since Week 10, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry during this stretch.
A playoff game against the Rams doesn’t bode well for Dowdle for multiple reasons. For one, the Rams are 10.5-point favorites and should take a commanding lead early. That’ll be on the back of Stafford’s passing game. In order to keep up, the Panthers can’t afford to run often. Secondly, Dowdle and Hubbard will split these limited carries.
It should be a pass-heavy game from both sides, which will lead to a high-scoring affair.