The opening round of the NFL playoffs is set to get underway with the Carolina Panthers taking on the Los Angeles Rams. The Panthers are coming into Wild Card weekend having sneaked their way past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. Despite their 8-9 record, the Panthers made the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The visiting Rams have had a terrific regular season led by quarterback Matthew Stafford under center. The 37-year-old veteran is in the running for the league MVP. This game should be an interesting one, given that the Rams are clear favorites in spite of their regular season loss to the Panthers in Week 13.
Best Bet for Carolina Panthers vs Los Angeles Rams
Best Bet:
Our best bet for the Panthers vs Rams is Matthew Stafford 2+ Passing Touchdowns (-280). (Sourced from FanDuel).
Our best bet for this Wild Card matchup between the Panthers and the Rams is quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing for 2 or more passing touchdowns. We feel this is a good bet considering his phenomenal form this season.
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Same-Game Parlay Picks for Panthers vs Rams
By the end of the regular season, Stafford led the league with 46 passing touchdowns, which was 8 more than Jared Goff in second place. Throughout the season, Stafford’s remarkable consistency was on display as he managed 2 or more touchdowns in 15 of the 17 games. He has managed this feat for the last 11 games.
This is our pick for a 3-leg same game parlay for the Panthers vs Rams Wild Card game (Sourced from FanDuel).
In the Panthers vs Rams game this Saturday, we are taking the above 3-leg parlay in which the first pick is Carolina receiver Tetairoa McMillan anytime TD scorer. We believe this pick has value since McMillan has already emerged as the top target for Bryce Young, and he leads the team with 7 touchdowns this season.
Moreover, the Rams are the best team in the league at defending rushing touchdowns. Los Angeles has given away only 8 touchdowns on the ground in 17 regular season games, which means that the Panthers may have to employ a more pass-friendly approach in the red zone.
Puka Nacua anytime TD scorer:
Our second pick for this parlay is Puka Nacua anytime TD scorer. We believe this bet also has merit, firstly because the Rams lead the league in passing touchdowns and are a heavy passing team.
Secondly, Nacua has stepped up as the go-to receiver in the end zone for Stafford after Davante Adams missed the final three games of the season due to a hamstring injury. The third-year receiver has totaled 10 touchdowns this season. More importantly, though, he has caught 6 touchdown passes in the last 5 games.
Davante Adams 4+ receptions:
Rams’ receiver Davante Adams was in fine form prior to his hamstring injury. Adams is, however, expected to be a full-go for the upcoming game against the Panthers. Prior to his injury, Adams averaged 7-8 targets a game, catching 4 or more passes in 12 of the 14 games he played in.
The line for this game stands hugely in favor of the Rams at (-650), whereas the Panthers are (+460). Despite being on the road and having lost to the Panthers earlier in the regular season, we are taking the Rams to win due to their superior roster.
Spread Prediction
Once again, the Rams are favored mightily with a -10.5 spread over the Panthers. The Rams are 4-2 ATS as the away favorites, but this game could be closer than the spread suggests. We are taking the Panthers to cover.
Over/Under (Total) Prediction
The over/under for the total points in the Panthers vs Rams game is set at 46.5. The Rams are the top scoring team in the league with an average of 30 points per game, while the Panthers rank 27th with just a little over 18 points a game.
Defensively, Los Angeles is giving up a little over 20 points while the Panthers are giving up around 22 a game. That said, the last meeting between these two teams earlier this season produced nearly 60 points. We predict the Over in this game.
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Trends to Know for Panthers vs Rams
Carolina is 5-2 as home underdogs this season.
The Panthers are 8-4 in the conference, including 1-0 against the Rams.
The Rams are 4-2 ATS on the road.
Los Angeles is 7-5 in conference games this season.
Latest Injuries for Panthers vs Rams
The Panthers are relatively healthy as per the injury report, with just guards Robert Hunt and Chandler Zavala questionable for the game with Biceps and Calf injuries, respectively. For the Rams, guard Kevin Dotson and wide receiver Jordan Whittington are out due to ankle and knee issues, while tight end Terrance Ferguson and cornerback Josh Wallace are questionable.
Weather Report for Panthers vs Rams
The weather report for the Panthers’ game against the Rams calls for slight rain throughout the game. Winds are expected to hit 17 mph with gusts up to 43 mph. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 60s.
What time is the Panthers vs Rams Wild Card Game?
The first Wild Card game of the postseason between the Panthers and the Rams is set for a late afternoon kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Only one QB has been named Offensive Player of the Month twice this season… 😉 pic.twitter.com/bS99lkthWx
The Carolina Panthers will take on the Los Angeles Rams at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
How can I watch the Panthers vs Rams?
This NFC Wild Card matchup will be televised nationally on FOX. Live streaming of the game will also be available on FOX Sports App, FOXSports.com, Fubo, or NFL+.
The above odds are sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!
I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!
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