The NFL's Super Wild Card Weekend offers countless storylines, none more intriguing than the Jared Goff vs. Matthew Stafford Motown Showdown in Sunday night's Lions-Rams game (8 p.m. ET, NBC). Today we will deep-dive this NFC matchup from a betting standpoint, looking into the odds and arriving at our best bets and final score prediction for what should be an instant-classic of a playoff tilt.
Both Detroit and Los Angeles have endured some ups and downs this season, with injuries and inconsistent defense occasionally rearing their ugly heads. However, each squad finished the season strong — with the Rams winning their last four games of the season, and the Lions one blown two-point conversion call away from four in a row as well.
The prevailing sentiment about both these teams: they're not a dream matchup for anyone. They each have strong, savvy pocket passers in Goff and Stafford. They each have a solid pass-rush, with first-time Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson anchoring the Lions and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald still wreaking havoc for the Rams. But what truly sets these teams apart from the majority of the NFL is their embarrassment of offensive riches.
For Detroit, we've seen a "thunder and lightning" running back duo in veteran power back David Montgomery and rookie speedster Jahmyr Gibbs. They combined for 24 touchdowns and nearly 2,400 all-purpose yards. Electric wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to dazzle downfield, somehow quietly racking up 119 catches, 1,515 receiving yards, and 10 TDs (Pro Bowl snub of the year?). And stud tight end Sam LaPorta just completed one of the better rookie seasons we have ever seen from a TE. All said, the Lions finished top five in scoring and yardage on the season.
For Los Angeles, breakout second-year back Kyren Williams and stud rookie wideout Puka Nacua have joined forces with Cooper Kupp to transform this offense back to contender status. Despite a brutal schedule — which included the 49ers twice as well as the Cowboys, Browns, Ravens, and Eagles — the Rams finished the season 10-7 while ranking top eight in scoring and total yardage.
This one should be really fun, so let's dive in and take a look at how we will attack this one from a betting angle. Below we will feature the odds, matchup details to know, and best bets to make for the Lions-Rams matchup this Super Wild Card Weekend. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy the show!
Lions vs. Rams odds, spread, over/under
All odds courtesy of Sports Interaction, Canada's most trusted sportsbook. Bet on this weekend's NFL games now!
- Spread: Lions -3 (-120) | Rams +3 (+100)
- Total: OVER 51.5 (-110) | UNDER 51.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Lions -185 | Rams +150
The Lions, who went 6-2 at Ford Field this season, enter the weekend as modest -3 home favorites against the Rams (who went 5-4 away from L.A. this season). This is about as tough an against-the-spread bet as you can get — Detroit went 5-3 ATS at home while Los Angeles went 5-3-1 ATS on the road.
The 51.5-point over/under is the highest of the six-game Wild Card weekend. No surprise there, either — the OVER went 11-6 in Detroit's games this season and 6-3 in the Rams' road games. The total went over 51.5 in eight of the Lions' games and six of the Rams' contests.
Should you bet the Lions against the spread?
In a word: yes. In more than one word, we might say "yes, but buy a half-point for good measure." This is just the second time Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff will square off since being traded for one another in 2021, with Stafford and the Rams emerging victorious 28-19 in October of that season. We like Goff to finally exact his revenge this weekend, with the dynamic and assertive Lions proving too much for the Rams' defense.
Detroit has more than proven its merit as a contender this season. Dan Campbell has done a phenomenal job of motivating his team without turning into a cartoon caricature of a coach. The Lions started the season with a massive win over the Chiefs and ended the season with two big Ws over the division-rival Vikings in a matter of three weeks. They stomped out the Broncos and should have been credited a victory over the Cowboys. They pulled off tough road wins over the Saints, Packers, Bucs, and the (pre-injury) Chargers. They're not getting nearly enough credit coming into this game.
Sure, the Lions' secondary has been brutal down the stretch — and the red-hot Rams have gone 7-1 since their bye week. But looks can be deceiving. The only contender L.A. has faced on the road during that stretch — besides the resting, Sam Darnold-led Niners in Week 18 — was Baltimore on Dec. 10. The Ravens won that one in a shootout. The other two playoff teams the Rams have faced on the road this season, Green Bay and Dallas, beat them by a combined score of 63-23.
Looking at insights across Sports Interaction and most of the major sportsbooks, the Rams serve as the most popular underdogs of the weekend. As we often find ourselves doing, we're straying from the crowd. Back Detroit -2.5 at -145 or bet the Lions by a margin of between 1-13 for attractive +120 odds.
Our Pick: Lions -2.5 (-145) or Lions by 1-13 (+120)
Should you bet the Lions and Rams' OVER?
Yep. While we usually like to buck trends and stray from the crowd, we can't even imagine this game finishing below 52 points. Detroit and Los Angeles have featured two of the weakest secondaries in the NFL this season, and both offenses are healthy and raring to go.
The Lions have netted the second-most passing yards and fourth-most passing TDs on the season, while ranking first in rushing TDs and fifth in rushing yards. The Rams, while not as overwhelmingly impressive on the ground or through the air, have scored at least 26 points in five of their nine road games this season. This will not be a defensive battle.
Our Pick: OVER 51.5 (-110)
Final score prediction: Lions 30, Rams 27 — Detroit wins and we cover our modified spread of -2.5 (-145), while the total sails OVER (51.5) to the delight of the masses.
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