One of the strange factors in the Wild Card Weekend round of the NFL playoffs is that a team with a losing record will host one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams are considered the best team in the NFL by many football insiders, gamblers, and the media. And the Rams are heavily favored to win Saturday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. But because Carolina won the putrid NFC South Division and Los Angeles is a wild card team, the Panthers get the home game.
Regardless of where the game is, the Rams have several advantages, starting with quarterback Matt Stafford and head coach Sean McVay. Namely, Stafford had an MVP-worthy season with a 109.2 QB rating and an insane 46/8 TD/INT ratio. Meanwhile, McVay is the offensive mastermind who has unleashed Stafford’s brilliance. Los Angeles has the most prolific offense in football and will face a defense that is not imposing. Wild Card Saturday means massive NFL odds betting traffic and public interest.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers NFL Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, January 10, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC |
| TV Coverage: | Prime Video |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | -10½ ( -110 ) | 46½ ( -110 ) | -595 |  |
| Panthers | +10½ ( -110 ) | 46½ ( -110 ) | +445 | |
| ||||
Rams at Panthers Betting Odds Overview
Oddsmakers opened with Los Angeles as a 10.5-point favorite and Carolina as a 10.5-point dog. Los Angeles is a -650 moneyline favorite, while Carolina is a +480 moneyline dog. Los Angeles and Carolina opened with an over/under total of 46.5.
Despite the big number, the Rams will draw casual sector interest as the vastly superior team getting a discount on the road. If this game were in Los Angeles, the Rams would be favored by several more points. Still, the price is too high for some. Of course, the Panthers are a difficult sell to the casual sector but may draw interest from contrarian gamblers and bargain hunters. Sharps may prefer to take the bucket of points.
Los Angeles Rams Team Overview
Last game, the Los Angeles Rams won 37-20 against the Arizona Cardinals as 14-point home favorites. The game went over the online betting total of 49. Los Angeles is 12-5 straight up, 12-5 against the spread, and 10-6 over/under the total. Late on, Los Angeles has covered four out of its most recent five games. The Rams went over the total in their most recent six matchups.
Los Angeles ranks 1st for total offense, 1st for passing, 5th for rushing, 1st for scoring, and 6th for fewest turnovers committed. In turn, Los Angeles ranks 20th in total defense, 23rd vs. the pass, 18th vs. the rush, 10th in fewest points allowed, and 7th in takeaways.
Carolina Panthers Team Overview
In the last game, the Carolina Panthers lost 16-14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 3-point road dogs. The game went under the NFL Football Betting total of 42.5. Carolina is 8-9 straight up, 10-7 against the spread, and 7-10 over/under the total. Correlate that Carolina has covered three out of its most recent five games. Carolina went under the total in its four most recent matchups.
Carolina ranks 23rd for total offense, 24th for passing, 10th for rushing, 27th for scoring, and 22nd for fewest turnovers committed. In comparison, Carolina ranks 19th in total defense, 19th vs. the pass, 25th vs. the rush, 16th in fewest points allowed, and 8th in takeaways.
Rams at Panthers Betting Trends
Previously, on November 30, the Panthers upset the Rams 31-28 as 10-point home dogs. The game went over the total of 45. The Rams covered the spread in four of their last five games. The Rams went over the total in their last five away games. In comparison, Carolina covered the spread in ten of their most recent 14 home games. The Panthers went under the total in four of their last five games against NFC teams.
In sum, the Rams are 3-7 straight up against the Panthers. Carolina covered the spread in six of its last seven home games with Los Angeles. The Rams and Panthers went under the NFL Betting total in six of their last nine meetings.
Rams at Panthers SBG Free Picks
The problem is that the Rams are too obvious. Indeed, Carolina makes little sense, which is what makes them a potentially strong and dangerous team. The Panthers beat the Rams a few weeks ago and have no fear of an expensive Los Angeles team.
Rams at Panthers SBG Best Bets: Carolina Panthers.