The Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET in Seattle, Washington.
The Seahawks are listed as 2.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 46.5 points. Below is my preview and a same game parlay bet for the NFC Championship Game.
Seahawks vs. Rams prediction, preview
The third installment of Seahawks vs. Rams this season should make for an incredible NFC Championship Game. Both teams won their home game by fewer than three points during the regular season. There is barely anything to separate the two teams. Between the two games, the Rams scored one more point and gained exactly one more yard. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have the postseason experience advantage over Sam Darnold and Mike Macdonald. However, Seattle has one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL with the 12th Man. It should be a fantastic contest with one of the best offensive coaches in the game, McVay, playing chess against one of the best defensive coaches in the game, Macdonald.
The biggest concern for the Seahawks is Sam Darnold’s turnover problems. Darnold threw four interceptions in the loss to the Rams in the first matchup of the season. Seattle’s defense kept standing strong and getting the ball back or forcing field goals. However, Darnold couldn’t stop giving the ball away, allowing the Rams to win by two points. Even in the home win in the second matchup, Darnold threw two second-half interceptions that likely would have cost the Seahawks the game if not for a heroic fourth quarter punt return touchdown.
Both of these defenses should play well enough to keep the opposing offenses relatively in check. Despite some of the great talent on these two units, it’s unlikely to be a very high-scoring game. This tilt is likely to come down to what the first matchups came down to: Turnovers and special teams. In the first matchup, Darnold couldn’t stop turning the ball over, and that was the difference in this game. In the second matchup, the Seahawks were sparked back to life with a punt-return touchdown from Rashid Shaheed, then the Rams missed a go-ahead field goal with two minutes left, allowing the game to go to overtime, where they eventually lost.
When it comes to special teams, the Seahawks have a massive advantage. They finished the season second in special teams DVOA, while the Rams finished 26th. That being said, Rams’ kicker Harrison Mevis is 4-for-4 on field goals in the postseason, including the game-winner over the Bears in overtime last week. Mevis should feel confident after how he has performed so far this postseason. Sean McVay and his staff also hopefully learned their lesson in the last regular-season matchup about giving Rashid Shaheed returnable punts.
Seahawks vs. Rams Same Game Parlay
The difference in this game should be Matthew Stafford’s postseason experience, compared to Sam Darnold’s. Stafford has played in a lot of big playoff games over the years, including a lot of road playoff games. In nine playoff matchups with the Rams, Stafford has an 18-to-4 TD/INT ratio. Prior to this season, Sam Darnold’s only career playoff start was with the Vikings. He lost in the Wild Card Round against these same Rams, throwing one touchdown and one interception in the game. Darnold also had a strip-sack returned for a touchdown. Darnold’s lone touchdown pass came when the Vikings were already down 27-3 in the second half.
Last week against the 49ers, Darnold did his job, but he only needed to attempt 17 passes in a blowout win for Seattle. In the regular season matchups between these teams, Sam Darnold had a 2-to-6 TD/INT ratio. Matthew Stafford had a 5-to-0 TD/INT ratio. If Darnold makes a couple of big mistakes again, McVay and Stafford will capitalize on those mistakes and turn them into points.
My best same-game parlay for the NFC Championship Game is the Rams alternate spread at +4.5 and a Kyren Williams anytime touchdown. It should be another tight game between these teams, with a couple of key plays swinging the script. If one quarterback were to need a late-game drive for the win, I’d back Stafford. If one quarterback were to make a key mistake that flipped the game, I’d bet on it being Darnold. For that reason, I’m backing the Rams to cover a short spread as underdogs. That provides some insurance if the Seahawks win a close one, thanks to special teams, as they did in the second regular season matchup.
Kyren Williams has done his job in the postseason. The Rams are a pass-first offense with Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. However, Williams always plays a key role. Despite this being a pass-heavy offense, Williams frequently gets scoring opporuntities on goal-to-go situations. Since the start of the 2023 season, only Jahmyr Gibbs and Derrick Henry have more total touchdowns than Williams. So far in this postseason, he has three touchdowns in two games — two on the ground and one through the air. Williams should find the end zone against Seattle to round out this same game parlay.
