Falcons vs Rams Wild Card Odds: Best Moneyline, ATS, Totals

Saturday’s second Wild Card game kicks off at 8:15 PM (EST) and sees the 10-6 Atlanta Falcons head to Los Angeles to take on the 11-5 Rams (January 6). Weather is not anticipated to be a factor in this one, as it is expected to be around 60° Fahrenheit with very little wind and next to no chance of rain. Here is your full betting preview, including expert advice and where to find the best odds for wagering each side of the moneyline, the spread, and the game total.

Team Injury Reports

ATLANTA FALCONS

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Falcons vs Rams Team Stats

FALCONS OFFENSE vs RAMS DEFENSE

RAMS OFFENSE vs FALCONS DEFENSE

Game Preview

For the first time since the 2004 season, the Rams are headed to the playoffs. Their 11-5 record was good enough to win the NFC West and earn the third-seed in the conference. Their opponent in the Wild Card round is no stranger to the postseason, though. The Atlanta Falcons, who suffered the worst Super Bowl collapse in the history of the game last year, managed to hang onto the sixth-seed in the NFC, thanks to a 22-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17.

Funny enough, the last postseason game the Rams played in was against the Falcons, when Atlanta laid a 47-17 beating on Mike Martz’s squad. But that was 13 years ago. Instead of watching Marc Bulger and Marshall Faulk take on Mike Vick and Alge Crumpler, we get Jared Goff and MVP-candidate Todd Gurley clashing with 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

The Rams’ incredible turnaround under Sean McVay is very likely going to earn the rookie boss Coach of the Year honors. LA’s offense went from last in both points and yards in 2016 under Jeff Fisher, to first in points and tenth in yards under the 31-year-old wunderkind. Goff went from looking like a complete bust to posting the sixth-best passer rating in the league this season. Todd Gurley had never caught a touchdown pass in the NFL and looked to have lost a step in 2016; the RB recorded league-highs in yards from scrimmage (2,093) and touchdowns (19), including six TDs through the air.

In order to keep up on the scoreboard, Atlanta will not only need to run the ball early and often to take advantage of the Rams’ weak run defense, but also capitalize on their opportunities to get Julio Jones the football, which has been a bit of a task for them this season. The five-time Pro Bowl receiver only caught 88 balls for 1,444 yards and three touchdowns this year. His receptions and receiving yards per game numbers were his lowest since 2012, while the three TDs were a career-low (excluding 2013, when he only played five games).

Can Sean McVay and the Rams continue to impress, or will the Falcons further their pursuit of avenging their Super Bowl LI loss?

Falcons vs Rams Betting Opportunities

Betting the Falcons vs Rams Moneyline

BEST FALCONS MONEYLINE: +248

BEST RAMS MONEYLINE: -275

FALCONS STRAIGHT UP TRENDS

• ATL has won six of its last eight games SU
• ATL is 5-3 SU on the road this season
• ATL is 0-2 SU as an underdog this season
• ATL is 9-3 SU vs the NFC this season

RAMS STRAIGHT UP TRENDS

• LAR has won four of its last six games SU
• LAR is 3-4 SU at home this season
• LAR is 9-3 SU as a favorite this season
• LAR is 3-3 SU as a home favorite this season
• LAR is 7-5 SU vs the NFC this season

HEAD-TO-HEAD STRAIGHT UP TRENDS

• ATL is 4-0 SU in the last four meetings
• LAR is 5-2 SU in its last seven home games vs ATL
• The favorite is 4-1 SU in the last five meetings

EXPERT MONEYLINE ADVICE: RAMS (-275)

Quite simply, the Falcon defense is not going to be able to slow the Rams on offense. LA’s offensive line has been too good, and too healthy, all season. McVay is going to find creative ways to get the ball into the hands of Todd Gurley and his other playmakers, while Jared Goff continues to masterfully execute the game-plan.

I do not trust Steve Sarkisian to scheme well enough to consistently beat a Wade Phillips-coached defense.

Betting the Falcons vs Rams Against the Spread

BEST FALCONS SPREAD: +6.5 (-105)

BEST RAMS SPREAD: -6 (-115)

FALCONS ATS TRENDS

• ATL is 2-3 ATS in its last five games
• ATL is 2-6 ATS on the road this season
• ATL is 0-2 ATS as an underdog this season
• ATL is 7-5 ATS vs the NFC this season
• ATL is 2-1 ATS in the playoffs since 2016

RAMS ATS TRENDS

• LAR is 1-3 ATS in its last four games
• LAR is 3-4 ATS at home this season
• LAR is 2-0 ATS when favorite by at least 6.5 this season
• LAR is 7-5 ATS as a favorite this season
• LAR is 6-6 ATS vs the NFC this season

HEAD-TO-HEAD ATS TRENDS

• ATL is 3-2 ATS in its last five meetings with LAR
• The visitor is 3-2 ATS in the last five meetings
• The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings

EXPERT ATS ADVICE: RAMS -6.5 (-110)

At first glance, 6.5-points may seem like a lot. But this is a Rams offense that can strike often and with ease. LA is averaging a league-high 29.8 points per game, and if you remove their final game — where none of Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, Andrew Whitworth, or John Sullivan played — they are averaging 31 points per game.

I have the utmost faith in Sean McVay to scheme up something brilliant, and don’t trust the Falcons to score many points outside of the comfort of their dome. Stop treating the 2017 Falcons like they’re the 2016 Falcons.

Betting the Falcons vs Rams Game Total

BEST OVER ODDS: 48.5 (-106)

BEST UNDER ODDS: 48.5 (-110)

FALCONS TOTALS TRENDS

• The total has gone UNDER in ATL’s last five games
• The UNDER is 11-5 in ATL games this season
• The UNDER is 5-3 when ATL plays on the road this season
• The UNDER is 2-0 when ATL is an underdog this season
• The UNDER is 8-4 when ATL plays the NFC this season

RAMS TOTALS TRENDS

• The total has gone OVER in LAR’s last five games
• The OVER is 11-5 in LAR games this season
• The OVER is 4-3 when LAR plays at home this season
• The OVER is 8-4 when LAR is favored this season
• The OVER is 3-3 when LAR is a home favorite this season

HEAD-TO-HEAD TOTALS TRENDS

• The OVER is 5-0 in the last five meetings
• The total has surpassed 50 in two of the last three meetings with the Rams at home

EXPERT GAME TOTAL ADVICE: UNDER 48.5 (-110)

Atlanta’s offense has been underachieving all season, and I do not see that changing this weekend, when they take to the road against Wade Phillips and the Rams’ 12th-ranked scoring defense. Atlanta’s best chance of winning this game is to stubbornly pound the ball and try to control the clock. The result will be fewer possessions for both teams and fewer opportunities to find the endzone.