Seahawks vs. Rams: Odds revealed for critical Thursday Night Football game

The past few weeks have been up and down for the Seattle Seahawks (11-3), despite a four-game win streak. The Seahawks have won four consecutive games, but some of them haven’t been pretty.

The same might be said for the Los Angeles Rams (11-3) since they beat the Seahawks 21-19 at home in Week 11.  Since then, only the Rams have lost a game. The Rams may have clinched a playoff spot, but the NFC West Divisional title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC remain in play.

On Thursday, either Seattle or Los Angeles will be one step closer to the top goal in the NFC as the Seahawks host the Rams in a huge Thursday Night Football matchup. Both teams look shaky at times, but they still remain some of the top threats to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX.

The Rams are betting favorites for the title, but first, they have to get through the Seahawks one more time in the regular season, this time, in Seattle. DraftKings Sportsbook has put the Seahawks as the 1.5-point underdog to the Rams.

Seattle’s offense has been mostly inconsistent since the Week 11 matchup, due to either incredibly slow starts or poor play from the offensive line. Sunday’s 18-16 home win over the Indianapolis Colts is another indicator of how poor the offensive line has been.

The Seahawks’ offensive line was once again overpowered at the line of scrimmage and couldn’t generate much positive push. They allowed the Colts’ defense, which was without star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, to account for five tackles for loss and five quarterback hits. Seattle only accounted for 50 yards in the rushing game on 22 carries, with the longest carry for eight yards.

The offensive line must improve significantly to stand a chance of winning on Thursday and in playoff games. The real key to the game versus the Rams is for quarterback Sam Darnold to avoid turnovers.

In Week 11, Darnold threw four interceptions against the Rams’ defense, who utilized nickel and dime packages with limited pass rush. That matchup showed he still has some of his past failed coaching and development from his days with the New York Jets still haunting him. Darnold has been criticized for a few weeks despite the horrible play from the offensive line.

The Seahawks are allowing 16.3 points per game and averaging 27.8 points per game in the four games since the games with the Rams. Meanwhile, the Rams have been efficient on offense, averaging 37.8 points in that same span. Their defense, however, allowed 86 points, but two of those games were against the Arizona Cardinals and an injured Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One aspect of the game on Thursday is that Rams wide receiver Davante Adams is likely out with a hamstring injury. To be less than two points of an underdog should be a miracle for the Seahawks. It shows there is some faith in the Seahawks despite a rough-looking performance on Sunday against the Colts.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.