The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks have met twice this season, splitting the season series. They meet for a third time in NFL Wild Card Weekend. Here’s the betting overview and Rams vs Seahawks prediction for the Wild Card matchup.
This betting preview contains the NFL odds, key betting trends, prop bets, and predictions for the Rams vs Seahawks NFL Playoffs game on Saturday afternoon.
NFL Odds, NFL Picks, and NFL Props | Rams vs Seahawks
Rams vs Seahawks Game Info
Los Angeles Rams (10-6, 4-4 Away) vs. Seattle Seahawks (12-4, 7-1 Home)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021
Time: 4:40 p.m. EST
Venue: Lumen Field — Seattle, WA
Coverage: FOX
Rams vs Seahawks NFL Odds + NFL Picks
All odds courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook
All NFL betting lines and odds are available on Bovada Sportsbook.
Moneyline: LAR: (+150) | SEA: (-170)
Spread: LAR: +3.5 (-120) | SEA: -3.5 (-EVEN)
Total: 42 – Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: LAR: (24%) | SEA: (76%)
Odds to Win Super Bowl LV: LAR: (+4000) | SEA: (+1100)
Rams vs Seahawks NFL Playoffs Overview
The biggest question for the Rams entering this weekend is at the quarterback position. Jared Goff underwent thumb surgery a couple weeks ago, which led to him missing the regular season finale. He is questionable for this game, but he is practicing. It would be unusual for him to practice, taking reps away from the inexperienced player, if Goff was not going to play. There have been conflicting reports, but typically questionable players take the field in the playoffs. Cooper Kupp will also be active, following the team activating him off the COVID-19 list.
In the last game these teams met (Week 16), the Rams offense did not look good. Goff completed 53.5% of his passes for 234 yards and an interception. However, the defense played well, as it has all season long. They limited Russell Wilson to 225 yards and one touchdown through the air. This defensive line is incredible athletic and continues to give Wilson problems.
The Seahawks have won four straight games, though their story is similar to the Rams’. After beginning the season as a historically bad defense, they have turned things around, with their acquisitions of Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap playing a big part. They have allowed an average of only 16 points over the past eight games, with two of these weeks being against the Rams. However, Wilson has been quiet, passing for less than 210 yards in three of the last four weeks and failing to throw multiple touchdowns in four of the last six.
Rams vs Seahawks NFL Betting Trends
- The Rams are 5-2 straight up in their last seven games against the Seahawks.
- The Seahawks are 13-3 straight up in their last 16 home games against the Rams.
- The under has hit in 12 of the last 18 matchups between the Rams and Seahawks.
- The total has hit the under in 11 of the Rams’ last 13 games.
- The under has hit in four of the Rams’ last six road games.
- The total has hit the under in seven of the Seahawks’ last eight games.
Rams vs Seahawks Stats
- The Rams are averaging 23.2 points per game (PPG) this season (T-No. 22 in the NFL).
- The Rams are surrendering 18.5 PPG this season (No. 1 in the NFL).
- Seattle is averaging 28.7 points per game (PPG) this season (No. 8 in the NFL).
- Seattle is surrendering 23.2 PPG this season (No. 15 in the NFL).
Monkey Knife Fight NFL Playoffs Props | Rams vs Seahawks
Monkey Knife Fight is a DFS site unlike DraftKings or FanDuel. Instead, the contests feature props to play, with varying multipliers for each contest. Unlike the aforementioned sites, you are only competing with yourself when making NFL picks on MKF, and you do not need to worry about annoying salary caps.
Monkey Knife Fight has several great NFL props for the entire NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend slate. Here is one in particular that I like for the Rams vs Seahawks.
Both of these teams love themselves some zone defense. These are the two most opposite wide receivers in terms of ability to attack the zone. Both defenses will seek to provide pressure, while also having coverage over top to prevent the big downfield play. Given DK Metcalf’s limited skill set at this point in his career, he is not going to provide Seattle with much, outside of being a very large decoy the defense needs to respect. As for Kupp, he is capable of working underneath and sitting down in soft spots of the zone, racking up targets.
In the first two games, Metcalf finished with 28 and 59 yards, respectively. Kupp totaled 50 and 66 yards in those games, respectively.
Guessing the over/under on these two wide receiver props earns you 3.5x your buy-in on Monkey Knife Fight this weekend!
Rams vs Seahawks NFL Playoffs Prediction
The first two meetings between these teams were close. In Los Angeles, the Rams won, 23-16. In Seattle, the Seahawks won, 20-9. These defenses have dictated the way these games have been played, due to their athleticism and ability to make the opposing quarterback uncomfortable, while also containing the run to a degree. Under bets have been friendly when involving these teams over their past 10 games (Under has hit 8/10 for LAR and 7/10 for SEA). Given each defense’s athleticism and zone schemes, which force plays underneath, the under is firmly in play again.
With the game likely to be low scoring, every possession will be crucial. Looking at how each team’s game scripts have gone, the Seahawks have outscored opponents by 3.6 in the first half of games, while the Rams have actually been slightly outscored. I place zero trust in Jared Goff’s ability to come from behind on the road. Typically, when he gets down and loses confidence, he is unable to recover the rest of the game. Throw in a thumb injury that could cause grip issues in the pocket, and I’ll side with Seattle to move on.
Rams vs Seahawks Prediction
Final Score Prediction: Seahawks 23, Rams 13
Betting Picks: SEA -3.5 (EVEN), Under 42 (-110) at Bovada Sportsbook)
