Rams vs. Panthers Final Score Prediction for NFL Wild Card Weekend (Can Carolina Pull Off Upset?)

Bryce Young and the Panthers are looking to pull off the home upset.

Bryce Young and the Panthers are looking to pull off the home upset. / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers lucked into the NFC South crown thanks to some help from the Atlanta Falcons, so they’ll host the Los Angeles Rams as huge home underdogs in the NFL Wild Card Round.

The Panthers did already beat the Rams once at home as big underdogs, though, coming away with a 31-28 win back on November 30.

The Rams are led by Matthew Stafford, who leapfrogged back into the lead in the NFL MVP odds after a great Week 18 performance.

The oddsmakers have the Panthers as big home underdogs at the best betting sites for this matchup.

This season, the SI Betting team is sharing a final score prediction for every game as a fun way to help bettors decide on spread and total bets. 

Using the latest odds and analysis, here’s where I’m leaning for this Wild Card round matchup.

Rams vs. Panthers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Rams -10.5 (-105)
• Panthers +10.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Rams: -575
• Panthers: +425

Total

• 46.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

The spread has gone up by half a point since the odds opened for this one, with the total staying put at 46.5.

Can the Panthers pull off the upset again?

Rams vs. Panthers Final Score Prediction

SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan broke down this game in his Road to Super Bowl 60 column:

There's no question the Rams are the better team, but can the Panthers hang with them and keep this game somewhat competitive? I think they can. The Panthers already beat them once this season, and while the Rams looked like the better team, the Panthers were able to gain 5.8 yards per snap against this Los Angeles defense. The Rams' defense has fallen off in the second half of the season, ranking 15th in opponent EPA per play in that time frame.

There's also something to be said for the Panthers playing on their home field, where they've been significantly better this season. There's enough there to take the 10.5 points with Carolina in this spot.

Pick: Panthers +10.5 (-115) via FanDuel

I don’t know if I could have said it better myself. Everything tightens up in the playoffs, so a Panthers team at home getting 10.5 points feels like a ton.

Carolina should be able to keep up enough with the Rams, just as they did in their regular-season matchup. This +10.5 play might be one of my favorite bets on the board this weekend.

Final Score Prediction: Rams 30, Panthers 24

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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