The 2026 NFL playoffs kick off with a Saturday Wild Card Weekend matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers. These teams met in Week 13, with Carolina prevailing 31-28 at home. Los Angeles (12-5) enters Wild Card Weekend as the NFC’s 5-seed and is coming off a 37-20 victory over Arizona, which ended a two-game losing streak. The Panthers (8-9) are the No. 4 seed after claiming the NFC South. The Rams will be without starting guard Kevin Dotson (ankle), but receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) has been cleared to play for the first time in nearly a month. Los Angeles cornerback Josh Wallace (ankle) and Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) are both questionable. 

Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The latest Panthers vs. Rams odds from DraftKings Sportsbook list Los Angeles as a 10-point favorite, making it the largest road favorite in a playoff game since 1970. The over/under for total points scored is 45.5. Before making any Rams vs. Panthers picks, check out the NFL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the 2026 NFL playoffs on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following its NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Panthers vs. Rams. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NFL odds and betting trends Rams vs. Panthers:

Why the Rams can cover

No team has a better spread record than the Rams at 12-5, which includes four covers over their last five games. L.A. is also facing a team with an 8-9 record, and teams with losing records are 2-6 in the playoffs all-time. The Rams have the league’s best offense, ranking first in points, total yards and yards per play, and it’s a unit that doesn’t hurt itself as no one has committed fewer penalties. Matthew Stafford has two touchdowns and no interceptions in each of his last three postseason starts, and the MVP contender is riding a seven-game playoff streak with multiple touchdown passes. This season, Stafford has more TD passes (46) than Carolina has total touchdowns (35) as the Panthers rank 27th in both points scored and total yards. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why the Panthers can cover

It was just six weeks ago that Carolina upset the Rams as double-digit underdogs, forcing Stafford into three turnovers. The Panthers have 10 ATS wins as an underdog this year, the most in the NFL, and they also have a one-day rest advantage after playing last Saturday. The Rams have lost three of their last four road games, and the Panthers are decidedly more potent on offense at Bank of America Stadium. Five of their six highest point totals this year have come at home, and the most points they scored all year came versus Los Angeles in Week 13. See which team to back at SportsLine.

How to make Rams vs. Panthers picks

SportsLine’s model has simulated Panthers vs. Rams 10,000 times and is going Over on the total, projecting 48 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Rams vs. Panthers, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Panthers vs. Rams spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $7,000 on its NFL picks since its inception, and find out.