Saints vs. Rams Week 16 Odds, Best Bets and Predictions for Thursday Night Football

Los Angeles is favored over New Orleans at home on ‘TNF’ with playoff implications at play.

The Saints and Rams are two of the four NFC teams currently tied at 7–7. Heading into Week 16, Los Angeles is in possession of the conference’s final wild card spot while New Orleans is on the outside looking in due to the conference wins tie breaker.

There’s still a very real shot that the Saints can win the NFC South so the wild card isn’t their only possible path to the playoffs. As for the Rams, the 49ers already clinched the NFC West, so one of those three spots is the only way they can get back to the postseason.

Los Angeles is a 4.5-point home favorite on Thursday Night Football at SoFi Stadium against New Orleans. The over/under, according to SI Sportsbook, is 44.5.

Saints vs. Rams Odds and Game Info

Moneyline: Saints (+165) | Rams (-200)

Spread: NO +3.5 (-110) | LAR -3.5 (-118)

Total: 45.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)

Game Info: Thursday, Dec. 21, 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video

Saints vs. Rams Best Bet: Rams -3.5 (-110)

*odds via SI Sportsbook*

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New Orleans and Los Angeles Key Stats and Fun Facts:

• The Saints have been one of the worst teams to bet with a 4–9–1 mark against the spread while the Rams are 8–5–1.
• New Orleans beat L.A. at the Superdome 27–20 a season ago with Andy Dalton at quarterback.
• Kyren Williams’ 953 rushing yards are fourth-most in the NFL. He’s on pace to become the Rams’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Todd Gurley in 2018.

In back-to-back weeks, New Orleans beat down on inferior teams to claw its way back to .500. The Saints stomped out the Panthers 28–6 in Week 14 despite being outgained by almost 100 yards. And Sunday’s 24–6 triumph over the surging Giants was more of an all-around effort as Derek Carr threw for a season-high three touchdowns.

Only five teams allow fewer points per game than New Orleans (19.1), which is one of the best units against the pass and one of the worst against the run. Los Angeles moves the ball through the air with Matthew Stafford and his litany of pass-catchers and on the ground with rookie Kyren Williams, which makes this a compelling matchup.

The Saints put an end to New York’s three-game winning streak by shutting down the run (Saquon Barkley gained 14 yards on nine carries) and sacking Tommy DeVito seven times, a season-high for coach Dennis Allen’s defense. The offense came to life in the second half as Carr found tight ends Juwan Johnson and Jimmy Graham for touchdowns. New Orleans has been a middling offense for much of the year but the team is 6–2 when it eclipses 20 points.

The Rams have won four of their last five games, including a 28–20 victory Sunday over the Commanders. Williams ran for a career-high 152 yards and Cooper Kupp had his second straight game with 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown. Coach Sean McVay and Stafford have this offense firing on all cylinders, averaging 29.8 points per game since the Week 10 bye. L.A. began the season 1–3 at home and is 3–0 since.

It’s not just the Rams’ offense that’s taken a step forward over the last month. The defense is also performing at a playoff level. It had allowed just seven points heading into the fourth quarter against Washington before Jacoby Brissett replaced Sam Howell and tossed two late touchdowns. This game takes on a little extra meaning for L.A. as this is its home finale with a trip to the Meadowlands to play the Giants in Week 17 before the season finale against the 49ers in San Francisco.

The Rams have covered the spread in four straight games, three times as a favorite and once as an underdog. The Saints also covered in their two recent wins, but their record before that is spotty and this is just their third time as an underdog this season. L.A. on the other hand is a frequent favorite and delivers in that position with a 5–2 mark. Look for the Rams to regain a winning record for the first time since Week 1 and take a big step toward a playoff return.