NFC Wild Card: Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions odds, picks and predictions

Cameron DaSilva

Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Rams (10-7) and Detroit Lions (12-5) will square off in just their 2nd playoff meeting ever on Sunday night, a Wild Card matchup between 2 high-powered offenses at Ford Field. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET (NBC). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Rams vs. Lionsodds, and make our expert NFL picks and predictions.

The Rams have won 7 of their last 8 games after starting the season 3-6. They finished 2nd in the NFC West and are the No. 6 seed in the conference. In their Week 18 finale, QB Carson Wentz led the Rams to a 21-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers with both teams resting several starters.

The Lions capped off the regular season with a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit won 3 of its last 4 games, with the only loss coming in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys (20-19). This is the Lions' first home playoff game since 1993 and they're seeking their 1st postseason victory since 1991.

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Rams at Lions odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 7:04 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Rams +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Lions -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Rams +3 (-105) | Lions -3 (-115)
Over/Under (O/U): 52.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Rams at Lions key injuries

Rams

OL Kevin Dotson (shoulder) probable
S Jordan Fuller (ankle) questionable
TE Tyler Higbee (shoulder) probable

Lions

TE Sam LaPorta (knee) questionable
C Frank Ragnow (knee/back/toe) probable
WR Kalif Raymond (knee) questionable

Rams at Lions picks and predictions

Prediction

Rams 30, Lions 27

Moneyline

The Rams didn't look like a playoff team earlier in the season, but they made it through one of the toughest schedules in the league and managed to go 10-7 with a roster filled with players most fans have never heard of. They played 8 games against teams in the playoff field this season and though they only went 2-6, they nearly beat the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens.

With the way the Rams passing attack is performing, and with how weak the Lions secondary is, Los Angeles has a great chance to pull off an upset on Sunday night. Not to mention, there's the added motivation for QB Matthew Stafford in his 1st game back after playing 12 seasons in Detroit.

BET RAMS (+140) to beat the Lions straight up and advance to the next round.

Against the spread

The spread is set at a key number, with the Lions giving the Rams 3 points. You could double down on the Rams by taking them to cover, but it's a better idea to put the full unit on them to win outright at +140.

One way to split it up is by putting a full unit on the Rams +3 at -105, and putting a half-unit on them to win outright. The Rams are 10-6-1 ATS this season, but that's still behind the Lions' record of 12-5 ATS.

Over/Under

The Rams are just an average defense, allowing the 14th-most points per game in the NFL (22.2). The Lions were even worse, giving up the 10th-most points per contest (23.2). Neither defense is particularly good against the pass, either, which means this could turn into a shootout between Stafford and QB Jared Goff.

Detroit could struggle to cover WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp when they line up outside, and the Rams don't exactly have the speed to match up with WR Jameson Williams outside and DB Quentin Lake has a tough battle with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown in the slot.

Both offenses should have success on Sunday night under the roof of Ford Field. BET OVER 52.5 (-110).

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