LA Rams @ Seattle Seahawks Match Preview

Two teams from the NFC West face each other in the first weekend of the play-offs on Sunday, when the Los Angeles Rams travel north to face the Seattle Seahawks. The teams have already met on two previous occasions this season, with one victory to each. It will be interesting to see if the Rams take a risk on the recently injured quarterback Jared Goff, who has been trying to shake off a thumb problem. Read on to see where we think the key match-ups and the best betting value can be found!

The Tale of Goff’s Thumb

Rams head coach Sean McVay faces something of a dilemma when it comes to choosing his starting quarterback for the weekend. Jared Goff has recently undergone surgery on a damaged thumb, so John Wolford might remain under center for LA. There looks like being uncertainty about which QB will start right up until kick off. The Rams have some significant strengths on defense. Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams combine to be the best corner back partnership in the NFL. They will need to be on form against a Seahawks offense that has a truly top-class player leading it. Heading into Week 17, the Rams were ranked first in the NFL for stopping deep passes, according to Football Outsiders.

For the Seahawks, Russell Wilson will shoulder the burden of trying to lead his team to victory. The Seattle QB was on fire earlier on in 2020 but has gone off the boil somewhat in recent weeks. Wilson remains one of the league’s best QBs when under pressure, though, and it would be foolish to write him off on an occasion that is sure to excite him, The Seahawks are on weaker ground when it comes to defense, however, with their safeties prone to blitzing and leaving the linebackers with too much ground to cover.

Our Pick: Seattle to win by 1-6

Our tip for this game comes from 888Sport, which is offering odds of +250 on Seattle winning the game by one to six points. The Seahawks have won their last four games, a run which includes a 20-9 victory over the Rams on December 27. While we anticipate that this weekend’s game will be closer than that, we still think that it is unwise to bet against Russell Wilson taking his team to victory, especially when the Rams are still unsure about who will start at quarterback.

Our pick: Seattle to win by 1-6 @ +250 with 888Sport