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In the first of six games on Super Wild Card Weekend, the Carolina Panthers play host to the Los Angeles Rams.

Carolina won the NFC South in dramatic fashion, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the de facto division championship game but claiming the South title anyway thanks to the Atlanta Falcons' win over the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers finished the season with a record of just 8-9, but thanks to their having won the division, they get to host the Rams in this first-round game anyway. 

Los Angeles looked like it was headed for the No. 1 seed for much of the second half of the season, only to lose a pair of games down the stretch and fall into the No. 5 slot instead. The Rams finished with the second-best record in the conference at 12-5, but because they play in the same division as the No. 1-seeded Seattle Seahawks, they enter the postseason as a wild card team.

Will the Rams advance, or will the Panthers pull off the upset at home? We'll find out soon enough. Before we break down some key storylines, here's a look at how you can watch the game.

Where to watch Panthers vs. Rams live

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 10 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
  • TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free) 
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Rams -10, O/U 46.5 via DraftKings Sportsbook

Key Storylines

  • Rams out for revenge. Back in Week 13, the Rams headed into Carolina with a 9-2 record and sat atop the NFC. They were heavily favored over the Panthers, who were just 6-6 at the time. But things don't always go as you expect. Matthew Stafford turned the ball over three times. Bryce Young completed a pair of huge touchdown passes on fourth downs. And the Panthers upset the Rams 31-28, setting L.A. on a path that would lead it to blow its chance at the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye down the stretch of the season. Now, the Rams have their chance to exact revenge on the Panthers.
  • Panthers run game. In the middle of the season, Rico Dowdle went berserk and the Panthers looked like they had one of the best run games in the NFL. They topped 100 rushing yards in seven straight games, 150 yards in three of them and 200 yards twice. They slowed down for a few games after that, rushing for south of 80 yards in three consecutive games, but then they popped up with 164 yards in their win over the Rams. They're coming off their worst rushing performance of the season (19 yards) in Week 18, so we'll have to see if they can get going on the ground again on Saturday.
  • Puka and Davante. Puka Nacua had "only" 6 catches for 72 scoreless yards in the first matchup against Carolina. Davante Adams had 4 catches for 52 yards, but he was on the receiving end of two of L.A.'s touchdowns. The pair of wideouts form one of the most dynamic duos in the NFL. In the first Rams-Panthers game, they didn't have to deal with Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, who is one of the best in the league himself. It'll be interesting to see whether Horn shadows one receiver or the other, or if the Panthers just stick with him and Mike Jackson (who also had a nice season) playing certain sides of the field.
  • Bryce Young vs. Rams pass defense. Young didn't have a ton of pass volume in the first game between these two teams. He threw only 20 passes. But when he did throw, it was incredibly beneficial for Carolina. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, without throwing an interception, and he was also sacked only twice while rushing five times for 23 yards. The Rams are excellent up front on defense, but they can be leaky on the back end on occasion, as we saw in that first matchup. The Panthers will likely try to control the game with the rushing attack, but they need Young to hit on timely throws again.

Prediction

The Rams looked like the best team in the NFL for most of the season. They stumbled down the stretch without Davante Adams, but they should have him back for this game. They'll also have revenge on their minds after they were upset by the Panthers earlier this season. But even that upset took Matthew Stafford turning the ball over three times and Bryce Young playing at a much higher level than he did for most of the season. I don't see those things repeating themselves on Saturday, so I've got to ride with the Rams here. Prediction: Rams 27, Panthers 16 | Pick: Rams -10