Rams vs. Seahawks: NFC Championship expert picks, odds, NFL playoffs best bets, where to watch, TV, stream
CBSSports.com and SportsLine break down this season's NFC title game
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6 min read
The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks will do battle from Lumen Field with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line. This NFC Championship will be the rubber match between these two NFC West foes after they split their prior two matchups over the regular season. Of course, this latest contest has much more on the line than simply taking a 2-1 edge, as the winner will be crowned the conference champion and advance to Santa Clara to play in the Super Bowl.
As we do every week throughout the season, CBS Sports and SportsLine have compiled our experts' best picks in one place so that you can get picks against the spread while also checking out additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, and more.
Stick with CBS Sports through the NFL playoffs as we break down every game and storyline through the most intriguing part of the season.
All NFL odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Which picks can you make with confidence during Championship Sunday? And which contenders go down hard? Visit SportsLine, as its incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception.
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox | Fubo, try for free)
Pete Prisco's Rams vs. Seahawks pick
Seahawks -2.5: "The Rams struggled some on offense last week in their victory over the Bears. This Seattle defense is much better than that Bears group. But Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has had success against them in the two games.
"The Seattle defense is the best unit of any left in the playoffs, which will challenge McVay to come up with new ways to move the football. The Rams lack great outside speed, and that showed up last week at Chicago. Keep an eye on that in this one.
"On the other side, the Rams defense has had some leakage issues in the secondary over the past six weeks. It is not a great group. The good news is Seattle wants to run it more than throw it.
"Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold is the key. If he can take care of the football, which he didn't do in a playoff loss to the Rams last year when he was with the Vikings, the Seahawks will win the game. I think he does. The Seattle defense is playing too good right now. That defensive front will disrupt the night for Stafford as the Seahawks get to the Super Bowl behind that defense." Pick: Seahawks 23, Rams 17
To see Prisco's AFC Championship pick, click here.
SportsLine's Larry Hartstein's Rams vs. Seahawks pick
There is no better resource when it comes to betting on Rams games than Hartstein. He's nailed 28 of his last 38 picks in games involving Los Angeles, and Harstein is now putting this NFC Championship in the crosshairs. We can tell you Hartstein is leaning Over the 47.5 total. To see his official pick for this game, however, you'll need to log on to SportsLine.
Tyler Sullivan's Rams vs. Seahawks pick
Seahawks -2.5: "The Seahawks were the best defense in the NFL this season, allowing the fewest points per game (17.2), the lowest third-down conversion rate (32.05%), and the second fewest yards per play (4.6). They also haven't allowed a touchdown over their last two games, dating to the regular season.
"Matthew Stafford did have success against this defense earlier this year, but the veteran quarterback was a bit shaky at times last week against a Chicago defense that isn't in the same stratosphere as Seattle's. Stafford dealt with a solid amount of pressure and was sacked four times on the night. There was also a period against the Bears where he and the Rams punted six times over a seven-drive stretch. Chicago simply didn't take advantage. Seattle can, and will, especially if Kenneth Walker III gets rolling on the ground." Pick: Seahawks 30, Rams 20
To see Sullivan's AFC Championship pick, click here.
John Breech's Rams vs. Seahawks pick
Rams +2.5: "The Seahawks only lost three games all year and all three of those games had one big thing in common: They turned the ball over multiple times. The Seahawks are so good that they only tend to lose when they beat themselves: They went 9-0 this season when their turnover number was one or zero, but they went 6-3 when they turned the ball over two times or more.
"The problem for the Seahawks is that if there's anyone who might turn the ball over multiple times in a big game, it's definitely Sam Darnold, especially if that game is against the Rams. In two games against L.A. this season, Darnold has been picked off six times.
"Darnold had the most turnovers by any player in the NFL this year with 20 (14 interceptions, six lost fumbles). Since 1990, only one QB has led the NFL in turnovers and won the Super Bowl in the same year, and that was Eli Manning, who did it thanks to a miracle run by the Giants in 2007.
"Darnold has faced the Rams four times since the beginning of last season and here's what has happened: He's been sacked 16 times, he's thrown seven interceptions and he's gone 1-3." Pick: Rams 30, Seahawks 23
To see Breech's AFC Championship pick, click here.
Mike McClure's top DFS for Championship Sunday
If you want to add some DFS lineups to your Championship Sunday, Mike McClure is the expert you'll want to follow. McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with more than $2 million in career winnings. In 2023, he won the DraftKings Millionaire Maker twice and the FanDuel Million once. Now, he's eyeing these conference championships and building up rosters to cash in. For this NFC Championship, one to McClure's top DFS picks is Puka Nacua. To see the rest of his top plays and lineups, click over to SportsLine.
Jared Dubin's Rams vs. Seahawks pick
Rams +2.5: "I picked the Rams to beat the Seahawks in the NFC title game in our pre-playoff predictions, so I am obviously rolling with the same pick here. L.A. won the first game between these two teams and should have won the second one, and would have if not for one of the craziest two-point conversions anyone has ever seen. The Seahawks have an elite defense and home-field advantage, but when two teams are as close in quality as these two are, I always like to roll with whichever team has the advantage at quarterback, the game's most important position. In this case, that's Matthew Stafford and the Rams. I like them to advance with a closely-contested win." Pick: Rams 23, Seahawks 20
To see Dubin's AFC Championship pick, click here.
Jordan Dajani's Rams vs. Seahawks pick
Rams +2.5: "My preseason Super Bowl pick was Ravens vs. Rams, and just because I was wrong about Baltimore does not mean I'm flaking on Los Angeles in this spot. Everyone is going to be on the Seahawks this week because of their incredible defense, but I will remind you that Matthew Stafford and Co. racked up 581 yards of total offense and 37 points in that overtime thriller in Seattle we witnessed last month. This pick comes down to me trusting Stafford and his fantastic cast of weapons more than Sam Darnold. The historical trends are in my favor as well. The Rams are 2-0 all-time vs. the Seahawks in the playoffs, and have won four straight NFC Championship game appearances.
"I know scoring points against this Seahawks defense will be tough. The only touchdowns they've allowed since Thanksgiving, not including the Rams matchup, are a Philip Rivers passing touchdown and a Bryce Young rushing touchdown. Still, I'm calling for the upset. Sean McVay is 5-2 against the spread and 4-3 straight up as an underdog in the playoffs." Pick: Rams 24, Seahawks 23
To see Dajani's AFC Championship pick, click here.
