Seahawks vs Rams Prediction: LA Will Rest Its Starters (Jan 5)

The Seattle Seahawks (9-7) travel to play the Los Angeles Rams (10-6). An LA win or Tampa Bay loss would give them the number 3 seed in the NFC. However, head coach Sean McVay will rest his stars instead of going all to win. Still, our Seahawks vs Rams prediction is that underdog LA will cover the 7.5-point spread.

Head-to-head, the teams are all even at 27-27.

Offshore Odds: Seattle Favored by More Than a Touchdown

Seattle’s Season Has Been Positive Overall

Even though they will not make the playoffs, the Seahawks can take away some goodwill from their 2024 season. Initially, they were one of the forgotten teams of the NFL. Few expected them to contend as they transitioned from the long head coaching reign of Pete Carroll to Mike Macdonald.

However, they were a legitimate threat to win the NFC West that was expected to be dominated by the 49ers. Their playoff hopes were doomed by losses to Green Bay and Minnesota while LA was in the middle of a five-game winning streak.

Except for quarterback Geno Smith, 34, the foundation of their offense is relatively young. Macdonald’s specialty is defense, so they should be in good hands in that area in the coming years. It may be time to look for a quarterback to groom.

In Week 18, they know the Rams are not going all out. A 10-win season would give them a good feeling heading into the offseason.

McVay’s Questionable and Understandable Strategy

McVay is benching starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Backup Jimmy Garoppolo will get the nod. Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams are also expected to sit out.

The question here is whether the prospect of getting the 3 seed should take precedence over resting his veterans ahead of Wild Card weekend.

The argument for it is that they are older, beaten up, and will likely need to get through either Minnesota or Detroit to have a chance at the Super Bowl anyway, so why not do it early in the playoffs at home?

The argument against it is that if Tampa Bay wins, McVay closing this door beforehand could bite them. If they are the 4th seed, they will play a 14-win team in the Wild Card round.

Still, they beat Minnesota relatively easily in Week 8. In Week 1, they lost to Detroit in overtime.

Seahawks vs Rams Prediction: Seattle Should Win by Less Than a Touchdown

Since the game doesn’t matter to LA, it’s easy to think that Seattle will blow them out. But Garoppolo is a veteran who can run the offense. The Rams should keep it close no matter the Bucs’ outcome.

Tags:
• Regular Season (NFL)