The first matchup in NFL playoff history between quarterbacks facing their former team takes place when Jared Goff and the third-seeded Detroit Lions (12-5) host Matthew Stafford and the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Rams (10-7) on Sunday during 2024 Super Wild Card Weekend. Goff was selected by the Rams with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and helped guide the team to the Super Bowl in his third season before being traded to the Lions in March 2021. Los Angeles received Stafford in that deal and the 35-year-old led the Rams to the second Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
Kickoff at Ford Field is set for 8 p.m. ET. Detroit is a 3-point favorite in the latest Lions vs. Rams odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 52. Before you make any Rams vs. Lions picks, you need to see what proven SportsLine NFL expert R.J. White has to say, giving his mastery of picks involving the Lions.
White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, consistently crushes against-the-spread picks and went 535-450-30 on his ATS picks from 2017-22, which returned more than $3,500 to $100 players. He also closed the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 107-80-6 run on his last 193 against-the-spread and total NFL picks, returning more than $1,800 for $100 bettors.
Most importantly, White has a read on the pulse of the Lions. He is 60-42-2 (+1300) on his last 104 against-the-spread picks in games involving Detroit. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, White has locked in on Lions vs. Rams from every angle and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Rams vs. Lions:
- Lions vs. Rams spread: Detroit -3
- Lions vs. Rams over/under: 52 points
- Lions vs. Rams money line: Detroit -165, Los Angeles +139
- DET: Lions are 2-7 against the spread in their last nine postseason contests
- LAR: Rams are 6-3 ATS in their last nine playoff games as road underdogs
- Lions vs. Rams: See picks at SportsLine
- Lions vs. Rams live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why the Lions can cover
Goff was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL this season, ranking second with 4,575 passing yards and fourth with 30 touchdown tosses. The 29-year-old has been superb at home over the last two campaigns, throwing 42 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions in 17 contests. Goff's top target in 2023 was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who finished tied for second in receptions (119), third in receiving yards (1,515) and tied for fourth in TD catches (10).
All were career highs for the 24-year-old wideout, who posted nine 100-yard performances this season - the third-highest single-season total in team history behind Calvin Johnson's 11 in 2012 and Herman Moore's 10 in 1995. St. Brown has hauled in a touchdown pass in four straight contests and reached triple digits in receiving yards three times in that span. On the other side of the ball, Detroit was second in the NFL against the run with an average of 88.8 yards allowed while defensive end Aidan Hutchinson registered 11.5 sacks - the most by a Lion since Ezekiel Ansah recorded 12 in 2017. See which team to back here.
Why the Rams can cover
Los Angeles enters the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the NFL, as it has won four straight contests and seven of its last eight. The club's only loss in that span was a 37-31 overtime setback at Baltimore in Week 14 in which it led with less than 1 ½ minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford leads a unit that ranked seventh in the league in total offense (359.3 yards), 10th in passing (239.0) and eighth in scoring (23.8 points).
The 35-year-old Stafford called Ford Field home for 12 seasons and has more passing yards (23,051) and touchdown tosses (156) at the venue than all other quarterbacks combined. He nearly posted the 10th 4,000-yard season of his career in 2023, throwing for 3,965 yards as five players racked up at least 370 receiving yards. Puka Nacua led the group and was fourth in the league with 1,486 yards as he set NFL rookie records for receiving yards and catches (105). The Rams also had some players on the other side of the ball make a splash in their debut season as defensive tackle Kobie Turner (team-leading 9) and linebacker Byron Young (8) became the second rookie duo in NFL history to each register at least eight sacks. See which team to pick here.
How to make Lions vs. Rams picks
White has analyzed Lions vs. Rams and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins Rams vs. Lions during Super Wild Card Weekend of the 2024 NFL playoffs, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rams vs. Lions spread hits hard, all from the expert who is 60-42 on picks involving Detroit, and find out.
