NFL Wild Card Weekend 2026 Best Bets: Rams vs Panthers

The NFL playoffs are finally here. The holidays have passed, and incidentally, there are plenty of postseason betting opportunities between now and Super Bowl LX on February 8. We’ve got you covered!

Where to Watch Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers

Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Location: Charlotte, NC
Where to Watch: FOX
Time: Saturday (January 10), 4:30 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers Betting Odds

Spread: LAR -10.5 (-108) | CAR +10.5 (-112)
Total: Over 46.5 (-110) | Under (-110)
Moneyline: LAR -620 | CAR +460

Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers Kalshi Odds

Chance: LAR 82% | CAR 18%
Spread: LAR 10.5 Yes (49¢) | No (52¢)
Total: Over 46.5 Yes (52¢) | No (41¢)

After getting help to win the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers (8-9) will host the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) to start the 2025-26 postseason. The sportsbooks see this contest as the most lopsided affair of Wild Card Weekend, so where is our best betting approach?

The Rams have been a perennial frontrunner all year. This group is explosive on both sides of the football. Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford (71.0 QBR) is viewed by many as the league MVP after tossing a personal-best 46 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ defense logged 37 sacks while allowing just 20.4 PPG.

The Panthers are not doing anything at an elite level this season. In terms of scoring, they rank 15th on defense (22.4 PPG) and 27th on offense (18.7 PPG). However, Carolina managed to harass the Rams and Stafford last November. In that game, the Panthers forced two interceptions, two sacks, and one fumble.

According to Kalshi, Carolina has only an 18% chance at victory this Saturday. That seems slightly inflated, especially when you consider that the Panthers defeated the Rams, 31-28, in Charlotte five weeks ago. I expect Los Angeles to avenge that loss this weekend, but I’d prefer to take the 10.5 points on Carolina. The Panthers’ offense has been slightly better at home, and with confidence from a previous head-to-head win, their aggressive defense will come out firing.

Best Bet: Panthers +10.5 (-112)

As currently constructed, I like over 46.5 combined points in this NFC playoff bid.

It is not easy to forget that the Rams finished the regular season as the NFL’s top scoring offense behind 30.5 PPG. From there, they were also the best unit in terms of total yardage, outputting 394.6 YPG.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (47.7 QBR) has been noticeably superior when playing at home. Young earned a 91.7 passer rating in contests at Bank of America Stadium (compared to 85.4 in away games). From that, Carolina scored 20.9 PPG at home this year.

Los Angeles’ defense has been hit through the air for 216.7 YPG. In its previous matchup with Carolina, Young produced 229 all-purpose yards and three scores. The third-year signal caller also completed 75% of his pass attempts versus the Rams.

Conditions should be dry when game time arrives in Charlotte. With that, I think we’ll see at least 47 or more total points. SportsGrid’s predictive model concurs, labeling over 46.5 points as a five-star wager.