The first contest of the 2026 NFL playoffs will see the Los Angeles Rams visiting the Carolina Panthers on Saturday in a Wild Card Weekend matchup. L.A. (12-5) finished second in the NFC West and is 5-4 on the road this season. Carolina (8-9) won the NFC South and is 5-3 at home. The Panthers defeated the Rams, 31-28, at home in Week 13. Davante Adams (hamstring) has fully practiced and will return after being injured in Week 15.
Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The latest Rams vs. Panthers odds have Los Angeles favored by 10.5 points, making it the biggest favorite of 2026 NFL Wild Card Weekend. The over/under for total points is 44.5.
Before making any Panthers vs. Rams picks, or 2026 NFL playoff predictions of your own, you NEED to see which side the proven SportsLine projection model is on.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Wild Card Weekend on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following could have seen HUGE returns!
Now, the model has locked in another confident pick for Rams vs. Panthers.
We can tell you it's leaning Over the point total, but also says that one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which side to back before locking in any picks of your own.
So who wins Panthers vs. Rams on Wild Card Weekend, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? ... Join SportsLine RIGHT NOW to see which side of the Rams vs. Panthers line to back, all from the model that has gone 53-37 on top-rated picks since 2024!
LIMITED TIME: Use promo code CHAMPIONSHIP to get your first month at SportsLine for $1 JOIN NOW.
GET VEGAS EXPERT PICKS FOR NFL, MLB, NBA, CBB, GOLF, NHL, HORSE RACING AND MORE - PLUS ADVANCED COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, WINNING TOOLS, AND MORE!
Written by Ross Kelly
View expert profile
