One of the strange factors in the Wild Card Weekend round of the NFL playoffs is that a team with a losing record will host one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
The Los Angeles Rams are considered the best team in the NFL by many football insiders, gamblers, and the media. And the Rams are heavily favored to win Saturday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
But because Carolina won the putrid NFC South Division and Los Angeles is a wild card team, the Panthers get the home game.
Regardless of where the game is, the Rams have several advantages, starting with quarterback Matt Stafford and head coach Sean McVay.
Stafford had an MVP-worthy season with a 109.2 QB rating and an insane 46/8 TD/INT ratio.
Meanwhile, McVay is the offensive mastermind who has unleashed Stafford’s brilliance. Los Angeles has the most prolific offense in football and will face a defense that is not imposing.
Wild Card Saturday means massive betting traffic and public interest.
Get the latest NFL Wild Card Round news, check out the current betting lines for the games, and don’t miss the football action, all with the best odds at BookMaker!
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers Odds at Bookmaker
Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, will host the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Kickoff time is at 4:30 p.m. ET with television coverage on FOX.
Oddsmakers opened with Los Angeles as a 10.5-point favorite and Carolina as a 10.5-point dog. Los Angeles is a -650 moneyline favorite, while Carolina is a +480 moneyline dog. Los Angeles and Carolina opened with an over/under total of 46.5.
Despite the big number, the Rams will draw casual sector interest as the vastly superior team getting a discount on the road.
If this game were in Los Angeles, the Rams would be favored by several more points. Still, the price is too high for some.
The Panthers are a difficult sell to the casual sector but may draw interest from contrarian gamblers and bargain hunters. Sharps may prefer to take the bucket of points.
Los Angeles Rams
Last game, the Los Angeles Rams won 37-20 against the Arizona Cardinals as 14-point home favorites. The game went over the total of 49. Los Angeles is 12-5 straight up, 12-5 against the spread, and 10-6 over/under the total.
Los Angeles ranks 1st for total offense, 1st for passing, 5th for rushing, 1st for scoring, and 6th for fewest turnovers committed.
Los Angeles ranks 20th for total defense, 23rd vs. the pass, 18th vs. the rush, 10th for fewest points allowed, and 7th for takeaways.
Los Angeles has covered four out of its most recent five games. The Rams went over the total in their most recent six matchups.
Carolina Panthers
In the last game, the Carolina Panthers lost 16-14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 3-point road dogs. The game went under the total of 42.5. Carolina is 8-9 straight up, 10-7 against the spread, and 7-10 over/under the total.
Carolina ranks 23rd for total offense, 24th for passing, 10th for rushing, 27th for scoring, and 22nd for fewest turnovers committed.
Carolina ranks 19th for total defense, 19th vs. the pass, 25th vs. the rush, 16th for fewest points allowed, and 8th for takeaways.
Carolina has covered three out of its most recent five games. Carolina went under the total in its four most recent matchups.
Rams at Panthers Betting Trends
On November 30, the Panthers upset the Rams 31-28 as 10-point home dogs. The game went over the total of 45.
The Rams covered the spread in four of their last five games. The Rams went over the total in their last five away games.
Carolina covered the spread in ten of their most recent 14 home games. The Panthers went under the total in four of their last five games against NFC teams.
The Rams are 3-7 straight up against the Panthers. Carolina covered the spread in six of its last seven home games with Los Angeles. The Rams and Panthers went under the total in six of their last nine meetings.
Rams at Panthers Best Bets
The Rams are the better team and in top form. But the problem is that the Rams are too obvious.
Carolina makes little sense, which is what makes them a potentially strong and dangerous team.
The Panthers beat the Rams a few weeks ago and have no fear of an expensive Los Angeles team.
Main Pick: Los Angeles Rams
Over/Under Pick: Under the Total
Player Prop Picks: Matthew Stafford Under the Passing Yards Total
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