It’s a blockbuster matchup in the NFC Championship game, as NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks battle for a spot in Super Bowl LX on Sunday afternoon in Seattle. It would be fair to argue that both teams have been better in the conference from start to finish this season. Only one, however, will remain standing – and it’s on the way to Santa Clara.
Let’s get into my Rams vs. Seahawks.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks odds
Money line: Rams +120 / Seahawks -140
Spread: Rams +2.5 (-110) / Seahawks -2.5 (-110)
Total: Over 46.5 (-115) / Under 46.5 (-105)
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks best bet #1: Seahawks -2.5 (-105)
The Seahawks should be really big favorites this weekend, especially if you consider the fact that the line of only 2.5 points in favor of Seattle when the game is at home suggests that Los Angeles is the better team and not favored – or less – on a neutral field. But why? The ‘Hawks won the most recent head-to-head game in Week 16 – albeit in overtime – and appear to have improved since that game. They completely dominated the 49ers in Week 18 to win the NFC West and followed up the first round with a 41-6 thrashing of San Francisco in the divisional round.
This is a great place for coach Mike Macdonald’s team. It has played one game since January 3rd and is playing with another break since last weekend’s outing was on a Saturday. Not only did the Rams have a bye, but they faced the Bears again on Sunday. Both of their playoff games so far have been absolutely thrilling games, and they’ve traveled the country to Carolina, Chicago, and now Seattle. The Seahawks are more rested, have home field advantage, and have been more credible in recent weeks.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks best player prop bet: Kenneth Walker II Over 85.5 rushing yards (-111)
Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in Seattle’s win over San Francisco last week, so the backfield is entirely Walker’s for the remainder of the playoffs. That means he’ll get a ton of possessions on Sunday, and he should be able to take advantage of those opportunities. The Rams’ run defense was nothing special during the regular season, giving up 110.8 yards per contest on 4.3 yards per carry. They were burned by Walker in two games, as the Michigan State product rushed for 167 combined yards and two touchdowns on 27 attempts — and that’s when he split time with Charbonnet. He went 100 yards on just 11 carries in the Seahawks’ Week 16 win over LA.
After Charbonnet went down early in last weekend’s win, Walker converted a season-high 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns. He has gained at least 97 yards in three of the last four games.
