The Rams and Eagles kick off the Sunday slate of the NFL Divisional Round with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and the game will be broadcast on NBC.
The Eagles are 6-point favorites at most sportsbooks, and the game total is set at 43.5. That could go down, though, with snow in the forecast for Sunday afternoon.
Let's get into our NFL predictions for Rams vs. Eagles.
Rams vs. Eagles Predictions
Rams vs. Eagles Against the Spread Pick
By Sam Farley
The Eagles got the win over the Packers in the Wild Card Round but looked far from their best. If a few bounces go the Packers' way and Jordan Love has his full complement of pass-catchers, they could have pulled off the upset.
Meanwhile, the Rams' offense is cooking and Matthew Stafford is playing at the peak of his powers. That might not matter much if it snows in Philadelphia, but I trust the Rams to do enough to compete here.
On the other side, Jalen Hurts needs to play better than he did last week for the Eagles to cover here — that or Saquon Barkley has to thrive in the snow.
The Rams defense is playing well and will need to play a near-perfect game if they're to pull off the upset, but I think Los Angeles is trending well enough that this one should stay close.
Rams vs. Eagles Over/Under Prediction
By Erik Beimfohr
We actually have a matchup here that features far more defensive prowess than offense, and it sets up for a slugfest. Also, the snow might reduce the efficiency of both passing games.
Even ignoring the demolition of the Vikings, the Rams' defense has really improved down the stretch. The Eagles' offense has been underwhelming for quite a while, and they are content to try to grind out the game on the ground with Saquon Barkley. I think we should see lots of running, strong defense and the clock continuing to run all game.
By Charlie Wright
Philly played hilariously slow in the Wild Card round. The Rams found a way to one-up them on Monday night, as they averaged 32.5 seconds per play against the Vikings. It helped that they were playing with a lead for much of the night, but they were also bottom half in pace during the regular season.
Similar to the Eagles, the Rams ranked in the bottom five in neutral pass rate during the regular season.
The emphasis on the ground game should keep the clock moving, and both teams are more than happy to let it wind down before each snap.
Rams vs. Eagles Player Props
Jalen Hurts Under 205.5 Passing Yards (-110)
By Charlie Wright
Remember when Jalen Hurts proved all the haters wrong in Week 15? He went 25-for-32 and piled up 290 passing yards in a win over the Steelers. Hurts led his press conference with, "So that's what you all wanted to see?" He was concussed early in Week 16, so we didn't see him the rest of the regular season.
Hurts returned for the Wild Card game against Green Bay and the offense reverted back to its run-heavy ways. Philly posted a 47.1% neutral pass rate in that matchup, which was even lower than normal. The Eagles were at 52% during the regular season, which was already the second-lowest mark in the league.
Prior to the 32-attempt explosion in Week 15, Hurts had been held under 30 pass attempts in nine straight games. He threw just 21 passes against Green Bay last week, and it's hard to see that changing here.
The Eagles are favored by just under a touchdown at home against a team that struggles more on the ground than through the air. The Rams allowed the seventh-most yards per carry in the regular season, and they gave up the eighth-highest success rate on zone concepts. Saquon Barkley had the second-most zone runs in the league this year, so it's no surprise his rushing yards prop is up over 100 rushing yards again this week.
The Eagles played slow during the regular season (23rd in seconds per play), but they took it to another level against the Packers. Philly averaged 32.2 seconds per play in that game. For context, the Chargers were dead last in the regular season at 30.6 seconds per play. Only eight teams were above 30. I'm expecting the Eagles to grind this game out by milking the clock and handing it to Barkley, so this pick goes along with the under I laid out above.
Cooper Kupp Under 3.5 Receptions (+110)
By Charlie Wright
