The Rams and Seahawks have split two games already this season. They will meet on Saturday for the right to move on in the NFC playoffs. The big question mark for the Rams will be the status of QB Jared Goff.

Goff suffered a fractured thumb in Week 16 and did not play in L.A.’s NFL Week 17 win over Arizona. Rams head coach Sean McVay will not announce his starter until game time. Whoever starts for the Rams should be of no concern to bettors as both teams share a common theme.

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Game: Los Angeles Rams (10-6, 9-7 ATS) at Seattle Seahawks (12-4, 8-8 ATS)

When: 4:40 PM ET, Saturday, January 9, 2021

Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

America’s Bookie Current Line: SEA -3.5  Total: 42.5

TV Coverage: FOX

Strong Start - What Happened Next?

Seattle got off to a great start in 2020 with five straight wins to open the season. The problem the Seahawks had early was evident when they suffered losses in three of their next four games.

The Seahawks, long known for their defense under head coach Pete Carroll, gave up 30 or more points in two of those first five games and allowed an average of 25. That’s not typical Seattle football.

In those three losses, Seattle gave up 37, 44, and 23 points. The 23 points were scored by the Rams, who won at home 23-16. Since that loss, Seattle has only given up more than 17 points in two games. Over the course of a four-game season-ending winning streak, the Seahawks allowed an average of just 12.5 points per game.

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Defense Wins Championships?

The Rams earned their way into the playoffs behind the NFL’s best defense. They rank No. 1 in both total defense (281.9 yards per game) and scoring defense (18.5 points per game). Winning with defense was no more evident than in Week 17 with the win over Arizona.

Playing with backup John Wolford at quarterback, the Rams defense limited the Cardinals to just 214 total yards, recorded four sacks, and produced eight points of their own. Troy Hill returned an interception 84 yards for a score and defense recorded a safety

Whether Wolford or a less-than-100-percent Goff starts for the Rams, Saturday’s game should be a defensive battle. Divisional rematches in the postseason usually are.

Teams in the same division play each other twice each season and that breeds some familiarity. That familiarity usually results in some low-scoring games. In the previous 19 playoff games featuring divisional opponents, the Under is 11-7-1.

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Rams @ Seahawks Free Pick

Because of the Rams defense, the Under has cashed in the 11 of the Rams last 13 games. For the season, the Under was 12-4 for L.A. 

While early in the season Seattle tended toward the Over, the ability of the Seahawks defense to rebound in the second half of the regular season saw the Under hit in six of Seattle’s last seven games. 

In Seattle’s last six games, the Total eclipsed 43 points just once. The same is true for the Rams which saw a Total over 43 just three times in their final 13 games of the season.

Rams @ Seahawks Free Pick: UNDER 42.5