The Panthers (8-9) host the Rams (12-5) in the first game of the NFL Wild Card Round today. Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. Rams vs Panthers will broadcast on FOX.
Rams vs Panthers odds list the Rams as 10-point favorites on the spread (Rams -10; -112). The game total is 45 (-110o / -109u). The Rams are -550 favorites on the moneyline; the Panthers are +425 underdogs.
Below, you can find our Rams vs Panthers picks and Wild Card best bets, which include predictions for the spread, over/under and props for Kyren Williams (anytime touchdown), Tetairoa McMillan (receiving yards) and Bryce Young (passing yards).
Rams vs Panthers Props & Picks — Wild Card Round
| Game | Time (ET) | Best Bet |
|---|---|---|
  | 4:30 p.m. | |
| 4:30 p.m. | |
| 4:30 p.m. | |
| 4:30 p.m. | |
| 4:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NFL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Los Angeles Rams vs Carolina Panthers Odds
| Rams Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-10 -112 | 45 -110o / -109u | -560 |
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+10 -108 | 45 -110o / -109u | +425 |
NFL odds via Caesars
Rams vs Panthers Against the Spread Prediction
By Chris Raybon
I hate to do it, but I'm taking the Panthers at +10.5.
All time, it's tough to find a road team in the playoffs that's been favored by this many points on the spread. A road team has never covered when favored by seven points or higher in the postseason. If you drop that to -4 or more, favored road teams are 5-11-1 against the spread (ATS).
It's been a weird ride for the Rams this season. They started the season fast and quickly became Super Bowl favorites while Matthew Stafford has been a mainstay in the MVP discussion. They were in prime position to be the first seed in the NFC, then stumbled late with inexplicable losses to the Seahawks and Falcons.
We've seen the Rams come out flat in games they were favored to win (that Falcons game comes to mind) — and we have that same spot again here with a Panthers team no one really believes in. For anyone who thinks it can't be done, the Rams have already lost to this team. Stafford made some bad interceptions in that game and lost a fumble.
I'd project this spread under 10 points; we have an indoor finesse team in the Rams traveling across the country to play outdoors in windy and rainy conditions.
The Panthers are 5-2 ATS as home underdogs this season. They've been underdogs 14 times and covered nine times.
Pick: Panthers +10.5 (-110)
Rams vs Panthers Over/Under Pick
By Stuckey
Personally, I'm throwing out what I saw in the first Rams-Panthers game that had 59 total points scored. There were some weird things that occurred — a short field because of a big return and three Matthew Stafford turnovers.
If you look at how the Panthers scored, they had the pick-six off Stafford and three explosive touchdowns from Chuba Hubbard, Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan that came from at least 33 yards out — the latter two touchdowns coming on fourth downs. We've all seen the Panthers play; this performance was an outlier.
I feel like the ceiling for the Panthers is around 17 points if nothing flukey happens. Now the question is can the Rams get into the 30s?
Under the hood, the Rams had insane metrics in the first meeting (notably, a 76% rush success rate) — but the Panthers were missing 4-5 starters on defense, including Jaycee Horn and Tre'von Moehrig.
Stafford has struggled historically against defenses that disguise coverage post-snap — the Panthers do that at the highest rate in the NFL. I think Carolina will shy away from blitzing Stafford, which is something you don't want to do against him.
Outdoor totals above 44 in the Wild Card Round are 31-10 to the under since 2003.
Pick: Under 46.5 (-118)
Tetairoa McMillan Props: Big Playoff Debut?
By Chris Prince
Tetairoa McMillan is set up to potentially have a big NFL playoff debut. The Panthers are 10.5-point underdogs (hello, trailing game script) and the Rams have a vulnerable secondary.
The Rams offense should find plenty of success — they are projected to score 28.5 points — so the most likely scenario is the Panthers throwing plenty in an attempt to keep up. McMillan is the clear top target in their passing game.
The Rams allowed the 10th-most receiving yards to wide receivers this season, and while McMillan had just one reception in their last meeting, it went for 43 yards.
If the Panthers have any shot in this game, I'd expect a big uptick in the targets for McMillan; I think he crushes this number.
Pick: Tetairoa McMillan Over 53.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
Bryce Young Player Props: Will Bryce Air It Out?
Betting on Bryce Young's passing yards has gone terrible for me this season, but this spot is too good to pass up.
The Rams have a strong defense, but the Panthers are 10-point underdogs and are likely going to be forced to throw the ball a lot.
Young posted 206 passing yards in their first matchup on only 20 attempts, and given the likely trailing game script on Saturday, he should be throwing the ball over 30+ times.
I have Young projected for 15 yards over this number.
Pick: Bryce Young Over 188.5 Passing Yards (-114)
Kyren Williams Anytime TD Prediction
By Kyle Murray
Since Week 9, the Panthers have allowed 11 rushing touchdowns, which is the ninth-most in the NFL in that span and tied for the second-most among any team in the playoffs.
The Rams should dominate this game from start to finish — as 10.5-point favorites on the spread and Williams has shown a nose for the end zone all year.
NFL TD guru Gilles Gallant is also a fan of Williams' prospects today as he bet on the Rams RB to score 2+ touchdowns (+450) if you're interested in something juicier
Pick: Kyren Williams Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-115)
