The NFL playoffs begin on Saturday afternoon when the Rams visit the Panthers. This is the biggest spread of the six-game playoff slate, with the visiting Rams coming in as double-digit favorites.
But we're not talking about the side and total in this game. We're here to break down a couple of our favorite player props. Before we dig in, a quick recap of Week 18:
Wins: Jalen McMillan under 33.5 receiving yards, Kenneth Gainwell over 27.5 receiving yards
Losses: Riley Leonard under 174.5 passing yards, Lamar Jackson over 24.5 rushing yards, Drake London under 67.5 receiving yards
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The NFL playoffs begin on Saturday afternoon when the Rams visit the Panthers. This is the biggest spread of the six-game playoff slate, with the visiting Rams coming in as double-digit favorites.
But we're not talking about the side and total in this game. We're here to break down a couple of our favorite player props. Before we dig in, a quick recap of Week 18:
Wins: Jalen McMillan under 33.5 receiving yards, Kenneth Gainwell over 27.5 receiving yards
Losses: Riley Leonard under 174.5 passing yards, Lamar Jackson over 24.5 rushing yards, Drake London under 67.5 receiving yards
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Rams vs. Panthers Wild Card Weekend Props
Last week: 2-3 | Season record: 73-50 | All odds are from Hard Rock Bet.
Here are a few NFL Wild Card Weekend props from this game I like.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales has been trying to hide his quarterback all season. Bryce Young has thrown 25 or fewer passes in eight of his 16 starts.
Young is averaging 29.9 pass attempts and 188.2 passing yards per game, and just 6.3 yards per attempt - not very impressive numbers.
Young has failed to clear this number in three of his last four games, eight of his last 11 games and in 10 of his 16 games on the season.
Oddly enough, one of the games in which Young threw for 195+ yards was the Panthers' Week 13 upset of the Rams. Young was uncharacteristically efficient that day, completing 15-of-20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged a season-high 10.3 yards per pass attempt in that contest.
Don't bet on a repeat. The Rams' pass defense ranks fourth in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average). The Rams have the ninth-best opponent passer rating (87) and have allowed the 11th-fewest yards per pass attempt (6.8)
Expect the Panthers to try to run the ball as much as possible and not put their playoff lives on Young's shoulders. Even if they fall behind and force Young to throw, he might still fall short of this number against a quality Rams pass defense.
Davante Adams has been a prolific touchdown scorer this season, but he hasn't exactly been a yardage machine.
Adams had 14 touchdowns in 14 regular-season games, but he averaged a modest 56.4 receiving yards per game and finished with 789 receiving yards for the year. Fellow receiver Puka Nacua did the heavy lifting as a pass-catcher, while Adams averaged 4.3 catches a game.
In a Week 13 meeting with the Panthers, Adams had the sort of game that has defined his season, with a modest four catches for 58 yards... and two touchdowns. But the Panthers didn't have their best cornerback, Jaycee Horn, for that game. They'll have Horn this week, and he'll probably cover Adams quite a bit.
Adams is coming back from a hamstring injury, so it's possible he won't play a full complement of snaps - particularly if the Rams (10.5-point favorites as of this writing) take firm control of the game.
I think the under is a sound percentage play here.
