Rams vs. Seahawks Odds, Picks, and Prediction
Rams vs. Seahawks Odds
| Rams Odds | +6 |
| Seahawks Odds | -6 |
| Over/Under | 41.5 |
| Date | Sun, Jan. 8 |
| Time | 4:25 p.m. |
| TV | FOX |
On Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks will meet at Lumen Field to conclude the regular season for both teams. Entering play, the defending Super Bowl Champions are 5-11 and mathematically eliminated from the postseason. Seattle currently holds the final Wild Card position in the NFC playoff picture, but will need a win and help from the Detroit Lions to earn a playoff bid. In this intra-division affair, oddsmakers are expecting a comfortable win for the Seahawks, pricing them 6-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
Los Angeles Rams
Baker Mayfield keeping the Rams competitive
In four games since Baker Mayfield took over as the starting quarterback for the Rams, the team is 2-2 overall, including a 51-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Christmas. Still, Mayfield has struggled when under pressure, completing only 8-of-16 pass attempts, having to resort to check-down options in such situations more often than not. Nevertheless, this injury-ravaged offense has shown life with Mayfield under center, ranking in the top-half of the league in both dropback EPA and rush EPA since Week 14. Facing a Seattle defense that has struggled mightily against the run during the latter portion of the regular season, Cam Akers could be in for a big day as well in Week 18.
Defense decimated by injury
Since defensive tackle Aaron Donald last played in Week 12, the Rams defense ranks 26th in EPA overall, 22nd in dropback EPA, and 27th in rush EPA. Donald’s absence, in addition to missing a number of other key contributors on this side of the football, has taken one of the league’s best units and made them exploitable in nearly every area of the field. Expect them to struggle again on Sunday against the Seahawks.
Key injury news
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, cornerback Grant Haley, wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson II, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and left tackle Joseph Noteboom are each on injured reserve. Defensive back Nick Scott has also been ruled out for this contest after not practicing on Friday. Scott had played at least 56 snaps in every game since Week 9, making his absence notable.
Seattle Seahawks
Old Geno back in town?
Though Geno Smith enters play ranked 8th in passing yards, tied for fourth in passing yards, and sixth in QBR among qualified signal callers this season, he has been less impressive down the stretch than he had been during the early portion of the schedule. From Week 1 to Week 9, Seattle’s offense ranked eighth in EPA. Since Week 10, the offense has regressed to 17th in EPA. Needing one more win to give themselves an opportunity to earn a postseason spot, this group will need the September-October version of Smith to show up this afternoon against an injury-depleted Los Angeles secondary unit.
Vulnerable on the ground
Since their bye week, the Seahawks have been one of the worst defenses in the NFL, ranking 24th in EPA overall, 11th in dropback EPA, and 30th in rush EPA. In that span, Seattle has allowed 40 points to the Las Vegas Raiders, 27 points to the Rams with John Wolford at quarterback, and 30 points to the Carolina Panthers. This unit has held only one opponent to fewer than 21 points in a game since Week 8.
Key injury news
Safety Ryan Neal is listed as questionable for this afternoon’s affair after not practicing at all this week. Per Pro Football Focus, Neal has graded as the league’s best safety in coverage in 2022, making his potential absence a concerning note for Seattle. Be sure to monitor his status as kickoff approaches.
Rams vs. Seahawks – Picks & Predictions
Though the Los Angeles Rams are decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball, they have shown an ability to be competitive in recent weeks since Baker Mayfield took over as the starting quarterback. An extremely poor Seattle Seahawks run defense should also allow the Rams to control the time of possession in this contest, which could lead to a closer game script than many pundits are anticipating. Be sure to monitor the injury report ahead of kickoff, but Los Angeles is the smart play in this spot if locking in action early this afternoon.
PICK: Rams +6 (-110, Caesars)
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