by Rod Pearson
Monday, Jan 05, 2026
Game Time: 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, January 10, 2026
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Rams -10.5, Panthers +10.5; Over/Under: 46.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Rams -10, Panthers +10; Over/Under: 46.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Rams -10, Panthers +10; Over/Under: 46.5 points
Season Record
Los Angeles Rams: 12-5 (2nd place, NFC West)
Carolina Panthers: 8-9 (1st place, NFC South)
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Los Angeles Rams: won their last game at home against the Arizona Cardinals 37-20.
Carolina Panthers: lost their last game on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-14.
Los Angeles Rams vs Carolina Panthers Preview and Analysis
The Rams are entering this game with a 12-5 record overall and they have a 4-2 record in their divisional games too. They are 7-1 in their home games, 4-4 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Arizona Cardinals 37-20. Matthew Stafford was the starting QB and he completed 25/40 passes for 259 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Kyren Williams led the team in rushing yards with 60. Tyler Higbee led the receivers with 91 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Jaylen McCollough led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Desjuan Johnson led the defense in sacks with 2. Ahkello Witherspoon came away with the only interception for them in that one.
The Panthers are entering this game with an 8-9 record overall and they have a 3-3 record in their divisional games too. They are 5-3 in their home games, 3-6 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-14. Bryce Young was the starting QB and he completed 24/35 passes for 266 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Rico Dowdle led the team in rushing yards with 10. Tetairoa McMillan led the receivers with 85 receiving yards on 4 receptions. Nick Scott led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while Tre'von Moehrig led the defense in sacks with 1. Christian Rozeboom came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Rams vs Panthers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Rams listed as a 10.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rams have looked really good in their games this season with their 12-5 record overall which had them right near the top of the NFC West. They haven't been a great road team though with their 4-4 road record this season. Meanwhile, the Panthers haven't looked great in their games this season with their 8-9 record overall, but that record has them right at the top of the NFC South. They have looked a lot better on their home field too with their 5-3 home record this year. The Panthers have had a really up and down season this year and even when they had chances to secure their playoff spot, they couldn't do it. They had a chance to clinch the division in their final game of the season, but they lost 16-14 to the Buccaneers and needed the Falcons to beat the Saints on Sunday to win the division in a 3-way tie. The Rams haven't looked great themselves lately as they had many chances to win the NFC West and even get the number 1 seed in the NFC, but they fell short in those big games too. Now they are off a 37-20 win over the Cardinals in their last one and even though that isn't an impressive win, it does give them some momentum going into the playoffs. They also lost to the Panthers 31-28 just a few weeks ago so they aren't going to overlook this division winner with a losing record as they will be out for revenge in this game. The Rams are the more talented team in every way and they also have a lot more playoff experience to help them in this first game. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rams to cover the spread in this game.
Rams Panthers Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Saturday, January 10, 2026 (4:30 pm ET start time) is Rams 34 Panthers 14.
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NFL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Rams: 4-1 ATS against NFC South division opponents. 10-3 ATS as a road favorite. 10-5 ATS after playing a division game. 10-5 ATS off a home win. 9-4 OVER as a road favorite. 10-5 OVER after scoring 30 points or more last game.
Carolina Panthers: 13-20 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points. 0-6 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 75%). 6-12 ATS vs. good passing teams averaging 235 or more passing yards/game. 6-1 OVER in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 45.5. 9-4 OVER versus good rushing teams - averaging 4.5 rushing yards/carry or more.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Rams: T. Ferguson (TE) Doubtful - Hamstring. Q. Lake (S) Out - Elbow. B. Young (LB) Injured - Rest. T. Higbee (TE) Questionable - Ankle. A. Jackson (OG) Questionable - Knee. K. Dotson (OG) Out - Ankle. X. Smith (WR) Injured - Chest. K. Williams (RB) Questionable - Ankle. D. Adams (WR) Questionable - Hamstring. J. Wallace (CB) Out - Ankle. B. Fiske (DL) Injured - Ankle. B. Corum (RB) Questionable - Ankle. O. Speights (LB) Questionable - Ankle. J. McCollough (S) Injured - Hip.
Carolina Panthers: K. Barnes (LB) Questionable - Back. R. Dowdle (RB) Injured - Toe. R. Rochell (CB) Out - Concussion. D. Moore (WR) Questionable - Elbow. C. Cherelus (LB) Out - Calf. R. Hunt (OG) Questionable - Biceps. T. Wharton (DL) Questionable - Hamstring. J. Sanders (TE) Injured - Fibula.
Notable Quotes
“I like where we’re at right now. Now we move forward, and what a great opportunity we’ve got to go to Carolina and see what the hell we can do.” - Sean McVay after his team’s win against the Cardinals in their last game.
“I think we’ll all be on the edge of our seats. Hoping for the Falcons to come through, but at the same time, at least we have that hope to look at. We have to look at ourselves and we have to make sure that in these championship moments that we play our best.” - Dave Canales after his team’s loss against the Buccaneers in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Rams
WR Mumpfield, Konata
WR Nacua, Puka
WR Smith, Xavier
TE Higbee, Tyler
QB Stafford, Matthew
RB Williams, Kyren
Carolina Panthers
WR McMillan, Tetairoa
WR Legette, Xavier
WR Coker, Jalen
TE Tremble, Tommy
QB Young, Bryce
RB Dowdle, Rico
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Rams
Passing: Matthew Stafford (4,707)
Rushing: Kyren Williams (1,252)
Receiving: Puka Nacua (1,715)
Touchdowns: Davante Adams (14)
Carolina Panthers
Passing: Bryce Young (3,011)
Rushing: Rico Dowdle (1,076)
Receiving: Tetairoa McMillan (1,014)
Touchdowns: Rico Dowdle (7)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (9th season)
Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
