Rams vs. Panthers Prediction, Picks & Best Bets: Today's Wild Card Weekend NFL Playoff Picks

I expect Bryce Young to struggle in his first playoff game, with MVP odds front-runner Matthew Stafford showing the youngster how it's done.

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: January 10, 2026 1:36 PM EST • 5 minute read

Pictured: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) runs after the catch as we break down our Rams vs. Panthers predictions & odds for Wild Card Round. Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Wild-Card Weekend is finally here as we head to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX), and my Rams vs. Panthers prediction expects the betting favorite to showcase their playoff pedigree.

The Rams are the 10.5-point road betting favorite as they look to win for the fourth time in the last five wild-card games. Bryce Young will play in his first playoff game, which hasn't gone well historically for those in his situation. I'm also backing the world's most dominant wide receiver to score a TD as part of the NFL playoff predictions and wild-card matchups.

🏈 Rams vs. Panthers prediction today: NFL Wild Card Weekend

See the latest NFL odds and our experts' NFL picks for every game this postseason.

Predictions	Best odds	Confidence
Rams -10.5	110 via BetMGM	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Puka Nacua anytime TD	-110 via FanDuel	⭐⭐⭐⭐

🐾 What is the record of QBs in their first playoff game?

Young, who is near the bottom of our NFL playoff QB rankings, faces a tough task in his first playoff start. Since 2003, QBs opening their playoff account are 27-46 ATS, for a 37% cover rate.

While the 24-year-old has progressed markedly since being dropped to the bench last season, I don't expect him to buck the first-game trend.

He'll require more experience to take the next step, especially against a Rams team that not only has the fourth-best defensive DVOA but has something to prove after allowing 31 points the last time they played at Bank of America Stadium in Week 13.

💰 Rams vs. Panthers best bet today: NFL Wild Card Round

Follow all of our NFL analysis and betting advice for the 2026 NFL playoffs.

Rams -10.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Behind MVP odds favorite Matthew Stafford and a top-10 defense via EPA per play, the Rams have something to prove. They're playing the worst team among playoff participants, with the Panthers failing to score more than 17 points in four of six games to end the regular season.

The Rams, meanwhile, scored 36.8 points per game over the final five games, including their woeful outing in Atlanta, when they scored 24.

While the spread is a slightly concerning double-digit number, the Rams advanced in three of their previous four wild-card games, with an average winning margin of 17. BetMGM offers -110 odds, the shared best value of the best sports betting sites.

Score prediction: Rams 30, Panthers 16

🐏 Rams vs. Panthers prediction market

Our LJ Blut tells you how to back the favorite with his Rams vs. Panthers prediction at Kalshi.

🙌 Best Rams vs. Panthers touchdown scorer pick: NFL Wild Card Round

See all of our NFL touchdown props for the 2026 NFL playoffs.

Puka Nacua, WR, Rams: TD Pick (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stafford will call upon the league's most dominant wide receiver at every opportunity. While Davante Adams is Stafford's preferred red-zone target, Nacua scored 4 TDs in the final three games of the season.

And he would have had another in Atlanta had it not been for a needless penalty. The Panthers will struggle to stop the Rams' two-headed receiving beast, Nacua and Adams, and I expect the former, possibly both, to punch it in.

Our Sean Tomlinson backs the Over on Nacua's receptions prop with his best Rams vs. Panthers player props. Liam Fox has three more TD picks in his Rams vs. Panthers anytime touchdown scorer predictions.

💰️ NFL playoff guide

Be sure to download our free, printable NFL playoff bracket PDF ahead of today's kickoff to compete against your friends (and enemies). C Jackson Cowart's NFL playoff bracket predictions can help you get ahead.

Don't miss Gary Pearon's live betting guide for help with your in-game wagers today.

📊 Rams vs. Panthers odds: NFL Wild Card Round

Today's NFL betting report

Here is how today's NFL action is breaking down at BetMGM:

Matchup	Market	Current line	Bets / handle
Rams at Panthers	Spread	Rams -10.5	52% / 55%
Rams at Panthers	Total	45.5 (O/U)	O 56% / 11%
Rams at Panthers	Moneyline	Rams -625	26% / 58%

📈 Rams vs. Panthers betting trends: NFL Wild Card Round

Rams	Statistic	Panthers
12-5	W-L record	8-9
12-5	ATS record	10-7
10-7	O/U record	7-10
6.2	Yards per play	5.0
5.2	Yards allowed per play	5.5
+0.6	Turnover margin	-0.1
3-2	Last 5 games	2-3

🌤️ Rams vs. Panthers weather: NFL Wild Card Round

It looks like it will be a blustery, rainy afternoon in Charlotte, N.C., with 2.5 mm of rain expected with wind gusts of 34 mph. There's 64% chance of precipitation, and the temperature will be at 70 degrees.

Our Rams vs. Panthers weather report provides a deeper look into today's conditions, while our NFL weather report features the latest forecasts for every playoff game.

👀 Rams vs. Panthers betting insights

Here are the most popular Rams vs. Panthers player props at BetMGM as of this morning:

Market	Player	Bet	Odds
Most bet props	Kyren Williams	Over 68.5 rushing yards	-105
	Blake Corum	Over 44.5 rushing yards	-110
	Colby Parkinson	Over 2.5 receptions	-190
	Tommy Tremble	Over 2.5 receptions	-145
	Jalen Coker	Under 3.5 receptions	-155
Anytime TD scorers	Puka Nacua	Anytime TD	-130
	Davante Adams	Anytime TD	-135
	Kyren Williams	Anytime TD	-145
	Rico Dowdle	Anytime TD	+138
	Blake Corum	Anytime TD	+150
First TD scorers	Kyren Williams	First TD	+500
	Davante Adams	First TD	+475
	Puka Nacua	First TD	+525
	Rico Dowdle	First TD	+1000
	Blake Corum	First TD	+1100

🎟️ Rams vs. Panthers odds movement

Here are the current odds for Rams vs. Panthers via BetMGM:

The line has moved from the Rams being a 10.5-point favorite down to a 10-point favorite at -110 odds. The total has moved down from 45.5 to a flat 45, also at -110 odds on both sides.

🙌 NFL Wild Card Weekend picks, player props & TD bets

📺 How to watch Rams vs. Panthers: NFL Wild Card Weekend

Date: Saturday, Jan. 10
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
TV: FOX

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Written by:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work and NFL experience has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.

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