The NFL playoffs have arrived. 18 grueling weeks, all for the chance to reach this moment. 14 teams now stand with an opportunity to make a run to Super Bowl 60, and it begins today. Pair that with a full slate of NHL action, and the stage is set for one of the best days on the sports calendar. Here are tonight’s best bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Over 45.5 Points
Rundown: The Los Angeles Rams kick off the postseason as they travel to Charlotte to take on the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card round.
Los Angeles makes their third consecutive postseason appearance and seventh overall since Sean McVay took over as head coach in 2017. Carolina is set to host a playoff game for the first time in a decade — led by second-year head coach Dave Canales.
With the postseason comes a clean slate, bringing new matchups, new trends, and fresh ways to attack the board. Still, the most reliable indicators often come from what teams showed over the course of the regular season, making those numbers especially valuable once the stakes rise.Los Angeles closed the regular season with nine road games, posting a 5-4 record in those contests. More importantly for bettors, seven of those nine games went over the total, including each of the final five.
The Rams’ No. 1-ranked offense, led by MVP front-runner Matthew Stafford, has consistently generated explosive scoring stretches. Puka Nacua remains the focal point of that attack after leading the NFL with 129 receptions and finishing second in receiving yards with 1,715. Los Angeles is positioned to apply constant offensive pressure and will look not only to advance, but to avenge its three-point loss to the Panthers in Week 13.
On the opposite sideline, Carolina enters the postseason with limited playoff experience and a young head coach-quarterback pairing steering the ship. Bryce Young will be tasked with delivering near-flawless execution to pull off the upset. Among the 14 remaining playoff teams, Carolina owns the least productive offense by a wide margin, averaging just 18.3 points per game. That inconsistency has led to only four of eight home games at Bank of America Stadium clearing the posted total. The Panthers middling defense finished 15th in points allowed and faces a significant test against Stafford and a Rams passing attack capable of scoring in quick bursts. In Week 13, Carolina’s formula for success relied heavily on timely turnovers, a margin that will once again be critical if they hope to slow Los Angeles.
With the Rams’ top-rated offense creating opportunities down the field and Carolina’s path to success hinging on takeaways, expect this matchup to feature sustained scoring chances and enough big plays to push the game over the total.
Second Pick: Under 6.5 Goals
Rundown: The Los Angeles Kings (18-15-10) conclude a quick two-game road trip as they meet the Edmonton Oilers (22-16-6) in a Saturday night matchup at Rogers Place.
This matchup pits strength against strength. Los Angeles' stingy defense that ranks fifth in the NHL in goals allowed per game squares off with Edmonton's high octane offense that enters tonight's matchup fourth in the league in goals scored per contest.
Los Angeles is fresh off a frustrating 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, a team who had not won in nearly a month. LA currently sits fifth in the Pacific Division standings, but remains just four points back of the first place Vegas Golden Knights.
Edmonton enters aiming for a third straight win after back-to-back victories over Nashville and Winnipeg. Connor McDavid carries a 17-game point streak into the matchup and ranks second in the NHL with 77 points this season.
Expect Los Angeles’ defense to do just enough to contain Edmonton’s high-powered attack, keeping this matchup under the projected goal total.