Getty The Seattle Seahawks head to Los Angeles to face the Rams Sunday night. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Will it all come down to this game for the Los Angeles Rams? They’ll need to beat the red hot Seattle Seahawks if they want to stay in contention for the sixth Wild Card spot in the NFC. The Rams are 3-3 at home this season, while the Seahawks are 6-0 on the road.
Will the Rams pull this one out to keep their Wild Card hopes alive? Or will the Seahawks continue their dominance on the road and manage to stay in first place in the West?
Here’s a breakdown of the game followed by trends and our prediction.
Rams (7-5)
Los Angeles will need its offense to be firing on all cylinders if they want to win this one, and that includes both heavily involving running back Todd Gurley and keeping quarterback Jared Goff on his feet. The Rams will be without starting tight end Gerald Everett, who is out with a knee injury.
Goff will need to be more careful with the ball than he has much of the season. Goff has 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this year, and he’ll be facing a Seahawks defense that is allowing just over 21 points a game.
On defense, the Rams are surrendering just under 20 points a game, and while they haven’t forced a great deal of turnovers, they have recorded 38 sacks, and Aaron Donald will make sure his presence is always felt.
Seahawks (10-2)
Led by MVP candidate Russell Wilson, the Seahawks are coming off a 37-30 win against Minnesota Monday night. Wilson has been exceptional this year, throwing 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Rashaad Penny has been solid in a supporting role, as well, and he and Chris Carson should help Wilson keep their balanced attack an effective one.
The Seahawks have won five straight, and they will need their defense to show up in a big way against Sean McVay’s offense. Seattle is tied for the league-lead with 18 forced fumbles, and they’ll have to be opportunistic in order to keep Gurley, Goff and company in check.
The Seahawks just placed cornerback Neiko Thorpe on injured reserve, so their secondary will be a bit shorthanded.
Trends, Pick and Predictions:
*NOTE: The following numbers and trends are all courtesy of Odds Shark.
Spread: Even
Over/Under: 47.5 points
Odds Shark currently has the Rams winning the game by a projected score of 28-18, with Los Angeles as the pick and the total score going under 47.5 points.
Some relevant trends to consider surrounding the game:
- Seattle is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 14 of Seattle’s last 20 games.
- The Seahawks are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games.
- Seattle is 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games against LA Rams.
- LA Rams are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Rams’ last 7 games.
- LA Rams are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Rams’ last 5 games against Seattle
The Seahawks are the better team right now–and they’re the hotter one too. Russell Wilson has been relentlessly good, and he has been near-impossible to beat. Look for Seattle to win a close one on the road.
Final Prediction: Seahawks 24, Rams 21
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