Welcome to Thursday Night Football, sports betting family. We won our best bet on the Steelers on Monday to finish Week 15 on a high note. Let's take an early look at the HUGE NFC West matchup that could decide who will take home the coveted division crown.
Both Los Angeles and Seattle are coming off wins last week over the Lions and Colts, respectively. That being said, the Seahawks had a surprisingly hard time putting up points against the Colts' defense. The Rams put on an offensive clinic at home against Detroit
Good luck and enjoy the game! I've got a player prop on this game below that'll hopefully build your bankroll. Let's get into the details.
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Online sportsbooks opened this line at Seattle -1.5 on the look-ahead last week. Oddly enough, that's still where we sit as of Tuesday morning. Bookmakers are lining this game very close to a pick'em, and that usually means they're expecting lots of solid money on both sides.
As for the game total, there's been a large bit of Under money in the market so far. The line opened at 47.5, and most shops are now offering 44.5. As always, be sure to shop around for the best price before pulling the trigger on any bet.
Los Angeles is 11-3 overall this season and a solid 5-2 on the highway. Matthew Stafford is now the favorite to win NFL MVP, and it's easy to see why. The Ageless Georgia Bulldog has already thrown for 3722 yards and 37 TDs this season.
As usual, Puka Nacua remains Stafford's favorite target. The former BYU standout has hauled in 102 receptions and 1,367 receiving yards. He's also found the end zone 7 times in total (6 receiving, 1 rushing). Nacua will probably get more targets since Davante Adams could miss this game with a strained hamstring.
The Rams' defense has been pretty solid all year long. The team ranks 3rd in points allowed and 7th in yards per play allowed. Byron Young leads the team with 11 sacks, and you can bet that Sam Darnold will have to keep an eye on him in this one.
Say what you want to about Sam Darnold, but this is the 2nd year in a row that he has his team in contention for the NFC's No. 1 seed. The former USC Trojan has thrown for 3433 yards (6th in the NFL) and 22 TDs (tied for 10th). He has thrown 11 picks, so that's a bit of a concern here for the home team.
Seattle uses a two-back system to try and help take the pressure off Darnold. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet have split carries all year long, and it's worked out pretty well. The duo has found the end zone 12 times on the ground so far.
The Seahawks defense has been outstanding, as they rank 2nd in points allowed and 1st in yards per play allowed. Ernest Jones IV leads the squad with 104 tackles, and Leonard Williams leads the way in sacks with 7.
LAR vs SEA: 8:15 PM ET on Thursday, December 18
Let's buy in early on JSN before the rest of the props world steams this line into oblivion. If you don't have Bet365 in your state, you can still get this same line at BetMGM for a little extra juice (-115). Smith-Njigba has all but locked up the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, and he's showing no signs of slowing down.
Seattle looked sluggish last week on offense against Indy, but it didn't hurt JSN's numbers in the least. The former Ohio State star still racked up 113 receiving yards, and I think he'll crack the century mark again in this battle for all the marbles in the NFC West. PFF is projecting at 15 snaps for JSN against Emmanuel Forbes of the Rams, who ranks just 67th out of 112 corners in coverage.
As a whole, Los Angeles is a good coverage team, but defending Smith-Njigba is a different beast. His median receiving yardage number is 109 this season, so we're getting enough value to recommend a play on the Over in this spot. Best of luck, sports betting amigos!