Rams vs. Seahawks Wild Card Playoff Predictions, Odds


Rams vs. Seahawks Best Bets


  • Jan. 9, 2021
  • By Jonathan Willis
  • VegasInsider.com

Rams vs. Seahawks - Predictions

  • Score Prediction: Seattle 20 Los Angeles 17
  • Best Bet: Under

The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will meet for the third time this season on Wild Card Weekend.

Homefield advantage has been huge in the two previous games this year, as Los Angeles topped Seattle 23-16 at home in Week 10 and Seattle returned the favor with a 20-9 victory in the Emerald City two weeks ago.

These teams have only met in the postseason once with the Rams going on the road to beat the Seahawks 27-20 during the 2005 NFC Playoffs.

Rams vs. Seahawks Betting Resources

Rams vs. Seahawks Betting Odds

Line Movements

  • Spread: Buffalo -6.5
  • Money-Line: Buffalo -310 Indianapolis +260
  • Total: 51.5
  • Odds Subject to Change

    How to Handicap Rams vs. Seahawks

    Seattle got off to a strong start in 2020.

    The Seahawks won and covered the number in each of their first four games, as quarterback Russell Wilson led this offense to at least 30 points each time out. That led to Wilson becoming the favorite to win the NFL MVP in October, since he had to put up big numbers with the secondary on pace to be historically bad.

    Everything was flipped on its head over the second half of the season though. Wilson’s numbers declined, and he became more turnover prone, while the defense completely turned it around by allowing 17 points or less in five of Seattle’s last six games. The Seahawks ended up riding their defense to the NFC West title, and the ‘under’ cashed in seven of their last eight games.

    Los Angeles needed to beat Arizona in Week 17 to make the playoffs after losing to the New York Jets and Seahawks in the two previous weeks.

    The Rams had to do it without Jared Goff too, so John Wolford made his first career NFL start. Wolford threw an interception that set up a Cardinals’ touchdown early in the first quarter, but he settled down from that point to pilot the Rams to an 18-7 victory.

    Defense was paramount to LA’s fortunes in 2020.

    After being known as an offensive team under Sean McVay in 2017 and 2018, the Rams leaned on the other side of the ball this year. Los Angeles ended up having the best defense in the NFL, leading to the ‘under’ going 11-2 in Rams’ games since October.

    2020 Betting Stats

    (Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under - O/U)

    Los Angeles Rams

    • Overall: 10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS, 4-12 O/U
    • Road: 4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS, 4-4 O/U
    • Offense PPG: 23.3 (Rank 23)
    • Defense PPG: 18.5 (Rank 1)
    • Offense YPG: 377.0 (Rank 11)
    • Defense YPG: 281.9 (Rank 1)

    Seattle Seahawks

    • Overall: 12-4 SU, 8-8 ATS, 7-9 O/U
    • Home: 7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS, 3-5 O/U
    • Offense PPG: 28.7 (Rank 8)
    • Defense PPG: 23.2 (Rank 15)
    • Offense YPG: 369.5 (Rank 17)
    • Defense YPG: 380.6 (Rank 22)

    Betting Analysis - Los Angeles Rams

    After undergoing thumb surgery following Week 16’s loss to Seattle, it’s unlikely that Goff plays in this game. He has not been ruled out by McVay yet, but Goff’s throwing in practice this week has been limited and indications are that Wolford will make his second career start.

    Wolford went 22 for 38 for 231 yards with one interception last week against Arizona, and he showed off his wheels by running six times for 56 yards. Although this will be just his second start in the NFL, he was a four-year starter at Wake Forest from 2014 to 2017 and led the AAF in passing touchdowns last year.

    The Rams are going to try to run the ball as much as possible in order to take the onus off either Wolford or an injured Goff.

    Running back Cam Akers emerged as this team’s best running back over the last month of the season, and he figures to see the bulk of the carries after leading the team with 623 yards (4.3 YPC) and two touchdowns. Malcolm Brown hasn’t carried the ball more than seven times since early November, but Darrell Henderson Jr. saw some more carries his last time out.

    Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods lead the receivers.

    Kupp and Woods posted very similar stat lines with each player finishing with at least 90 receptions for around 10.5 YPR.

    Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, and Van Jefferson figure to see more targets if Wolford gets the start though.

    This defense is superb.

    The Rams have two future Hall of Famers in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, allowing them to get creative with their schemes.

    Donald is likely to win his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in the last four years as the rare defensive tackle that posts monster numbers.

    Meanwhile, Ramsey is one of the league’s true lockdown cornerbacks, and he was able to limit elite receivers like Metcalf and DeAndre Hopkins.

    Betting Analysis - Seattle Seahawks

    Wilson was a world beater through seven weeks. He threw for over 300 yards four times, and he looked set to break the single-season touchdown record with 26 touchdowns and six interceptions in early November. Wilson averaged 7.8 YPA or more in five of those seven games, demonstrating the big play ability of this offense.

    That changed over the second half of the season as opposing defenses started to take away the deep ball. Wilson threw 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in Seattle’s last nine games, and he only surpassed 265 yards once in that stretch. Opponents held him to 7.6 YPA or less in eight of those nine games.

    Seattle did have two 1,000-yard receivers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

    This tandem complements each other well as Metcalf is one of the best deep ball threats in the NFL (1,303 yards, 15.7 YPR), allowing Lockett to use his quickness to find holes in coverage on underneath routes (1,054 yards, 10.5 YPR). The only other receiver with more than 300 receiving yards is David Moore, making this a top-heavy passing attack.

    The lack of a ground game has hurt Seattle in recent years. RB Chris Carson has been reliable when healthy this year though. Carson has 681 yards (4.8 YPC) in 12 games, while Wilson has added 513 yards (6.2 YPC). Carlos Hyde is set to return too after missing last week’s season finale because of a non-COVID illness.

    The Seahawks were good at stopping the run all year long and ended up fifth in the league in run defense (3.9 YPC and 95.6 YPG).

    This secondary was atrocious through the first two months though, and it’s improvement by leaps and bounds helped Seattle win the division.

    Poona Ford and Jarran Reed are solid run stuffers along the interior line, while Jamal Adams led the team with 9.5 sacks and 14 TFL from the safety position.

    Head-to-Head History

    • Dec. 27, 2020 - Seahawks 20 vs. Rams 9, Seattle -1.5, Under 47.5
    • Nov. 15, 2020 - Rams 23 vs. Seahawks 16, L.A. -3, Under 55
    • Dec. 8, 2019 - Rams 28 vs. Seahawks 12, L.A. -1, Under 48
    • Oct. 3, 2019 - Seahawks 30 vs Rams 29, Seattle -1.5, Over 48.5

    Last Meeting

    Seattle was held to less than 300 yards when these teams met in Week 16.

    However, the Seahawks won 20-9 as the Rams settled for three field goals and turned the ball over on downs at the goal line and threw an interception inside Seattle’s 30-yard line.

    Notable Betting Trends

    -- The under has cashed in Seattle’s last four home games

    -- The under is 15-7 since 2010 in this series

    Recent Playoff History

    Los Angeles Rams

    • Feb. 3, 2019 - Rams 3 vs. Patriots 13, L.A. +2.5, Under 55.5
    • Jan. 20, 2019 - Rams 26 at Saints 23, L.A. +3, Under 55
    • Jan. 12, 2019 - Rams 30 vs. Cowboys 22, L.A. -7, Over 48
    • Jan. 6, 2018 - Rams 13 vs. Falcons 26, L.A. -6, Under 48

    Seattle Seahawks

    • Jan. 12, 2020 - Seahawks 23 at Packers 28, Seattle +4.5, Over 45.5
    • Jan. 5, 2020 - Seahawks 17 at Eagles 9, Seattle +1, Under 44
    • Jan. 5, 2019 - Seahawks 22 at Cowboys 24, Seattle +2.5, Over 43.5

    Key Injuries

    Los Angeles Rams

    • QB Jared Goff: Thumb – Questionable
    • RB Cam Akers: Ankle – Probable
    • G David Edwards: Ankle – Questionable
    • LB Micah Kiser: Knee – Questionable
    • LB Natrez Patrick: Groin - Questionable

    Seattle Seahawks

    • RB Chris Carson: Foot – Questionable
    • G Mike Iupati: Neck – Questionable
    • T Duane Brown: Knee – Questionable
    • TE Greg Olsen: Foot – Probable
    • DT Jarran Reed: Oblique – Questionable
    • S Jamal Adams: Shoulder - Questionable

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