Seahawks Open as Solid Favorites for Wild Card Matchup With Rams

The upcoming Wild Card Weekend will feature an NFL playoff matchup between division rivals, as the Los Angeles Rams travel to face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. These teams split the season series 1-1, with the home team earning the victory in both meetings.

In Week 17 Los Angeles battled to get an ugly 18-7 win without quarterback Jared Goff, while Seattle secured their fourth consecutive win. The Rams' uncertain QB situation is reflected in the opening odds, with the Seahawks as 4.5-point home favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds.

On the #Rams & QB Jared Goff: While no one has ruled Goff out for Saturday vs. the #Seahawks, it’s expected to be challenging for him to play. He was able to throw Sunday, which is good. But 12 days after thumb surgery, in the cold, it'll be difficult. Could be more John Wolford.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2021

With Goff out, the Rams were forced to start backup John Wolford in his place. It wasn't a disastrous showing, with the QB totaling 231 passing yards, 0 TDs and 1 interception, but it wasn't anything the Seahawks' defense should be afraid of, either.

Seattle's defense, though, isn't as scary as it once was. They rank right in the middle at No. 16 in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA metric while giving up the second-most passing yards per game (285.0). The Seahawks' defense needed some last-minute magic from Russell Wilson to bail them out and beat the struggling San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 as well.

Still, Seattle has an incredible edge at quarterback, and that'll matter in this Wild Card game. Even if Goff is able to play, he'll likely be limited, and that could doom the Rams' chances of competing.

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