Rams vs. Seahawks odds, prediction, betting trends for NFL ‘Thursday Night Football’

When the Seahawks host the Rams to open NFL Week 5 on “Thursday Night Football” (8:20 p.m. ET Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video), it will about two teams trying to strengthen their positions in a tough NFC West race. Seattle (2-2) just won a division game at San Francisco to jump into third place, while Los Angeles (3-1) fell to second place after losing vs. Arizona.

The Seahawks and Rams were the West representatives in the 2020 NFC playoffs. Seattle won the division at 12-4 but 10-6 Los Angeles won their wild-card matchup.

There’s plenty at stake early this season for both teams. Here’s everything to know about betting on Rams vs. Seahawks in Week 5, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for “Thursday Night Football.”

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Rams vs. Seahawks odds for ‘Thursday Night Football’

The line has grown a little in the Rams’ favor in what’s essentially.a pick ’em game. The Seahawks are in a strong familiar position as night-game home underdogs.

(betting odds per FanDuel Sportsbook)

Rams vs. Seahawks all-time series

The Seahawks hold a slim 25-22 advantage. They have had limited meetings because Seattle used to play in the AFC but have met twice a season since 2002. The Rams won in January 30-20 and have taken three of past four games. They also have won six of eight in the series. The Seahawks won at home last regular season and in 2019 on a Thursday night.

Three trends to know

—A whopping 72 percent of bettors think the Seahawks will win and do it by at least a field goal as slight underdogs.

—Despite both defenses having recent struggles, 72 percent of bettors also think the point total is set too high over 50 points.

—The Seahawks are 6-4 straight up and 4-6 against the spread in their past 10 games, including playoffs. The total has gone over in only 3 of those games. The Rams are 6-4 SU at 5-5 ATS in their past 10 games. The total has gone over 6 times in that span.

Three things to watch

Which pass defense will be worse?

The Rams have allowed an average of 273.2 yards passing per game, which ranks them No. 25 in the NFL. The Seahawks have allowed an average of 292.5 yards passing per game, which has them at No. 28. Quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson are destined for a duel that comes down to the last possession in the fourth quarter.

Which team will run the ball better?

The Seahawks are the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 152 yards rushing in the first month. The Rams are No. 21 at 123.5 rushing yard allowed. Seattle improved greatly vs. San Francisco while Los Angeles got gashed by Arizona. Chris Carson (neck) is ailing for the Seahawks and Darrell Henderson (rib) is back from his injury. A balanced attack will also take pressure off the QBs and keep the defenses off the field.

Which defensive playmakers will step up?

The Rams have Aaron Donald up front and Jalen Ramsey shutting down things at cornerback. The Seahawks have linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Jamal Adams in their back seven. But everything around the team’s established stars is cracking. In a game where possessions and points will be a premium, one force takeaway from either QB would be huge.

Stats that matter

111.7 and 9-1. That’s Wilson’s sparkling passer rating and team record when starting Thursday games over his career. He plays well all the time but gets particularly dialed in for short week games. He’s also 29-8 career under the lights in the regular season and 23-11-1 in October.

Rams vs. Seahawks prediction

The Rams look like the better overall team on paper. But this NFC West race isn’t meant to have a runaway winner and the Seahawks tend to bring out their best with Wilson when it’s needed most. Last week vs. the 49ers was just part of the equation. The Seahawks feed off their crowd and emotions to either slam the door or complete a comeback late.

Seahawks 31, Rams 27

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