The Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens clash in a pivotal Week 17 matchup on Sunday afternoon. The Rams have clinched a playoff spot but are still battling for home-field advantage while the Ravens are essentially in a must-win situation if they want to see the postseason.
NFL betting lines have the Rams installed as 3.5-point road favorites with the Over/Under at 46.5. Here are our best free betting picks and predictions for Rams vs. Ravens on Sunday, January 2, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Rams vs Ravens odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Ravens opened as 2.5-point home underdogs with the Over/Under at 45.5. Early money has come in on the Rams and the Over, moving the line through the key number to Rams -3.5 and shifting the total to 46.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full NFL odds before placing your bets.
Rams vs Ravens predictions
Predictions made on 12/30/2021 at 12:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for NFL Week 17, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available:
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Bet $1, get $100 in free bets when you sign up with BetVictor! Sign Up Now
Rams vs Ravens game info
• Location: Stadium, City, State
• Date: Sunday, January 2, 2022
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
Rams at Ravens betting preview
Weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our live NFL weather info and learn how weather impacts NFL betting.
Key injuries
Rams: Cam Akers RB (Out), Darrell Henderson Jr. RB (Out), Sebastian Joseph-Day DL (Out), Robert Woods WR (Out), Tulu Atwell WR (Out), Robert Rochell CB (Out).
Ravens: Lamar Jackson QB (Out), Odafe Oweh LB (Out), Anthony Averett CB (Out), Justice Hill RB (Out), Marlon Humphrey CB (Out), Ronnie Stanley OT (Out), Marcus Peters CB (Out), J.K. Dobbins RB (Out), Gus Edwards RB (Out), L.J. Fort ILB (Out).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Ravens are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight home games against teams with a winning road record. Find more NFL betting trends for Rams vs. Ravens.
Rams vs Ravens picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
COVID ravaged the Rams locker room a couple of weeks ago but things have cleared up and they currently have just one player on the protocol list, left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who was placed there on Saturday and could be cleared in time for Sunday's kickoff. They beat the Vikings 30-23 last week and have now gone 4-0 straight up and ATS in their last four games, snapping out of a funk that saw them lose three in a row.
The Ravens have lost four in a row and their chances of reaching the playoffs will drop to less than 10% if they fall to the Rams. Baltimore has been without Pro Bowl quarterback Lamar Jackson in its last two games. Jackson practiced on Wednesday but had a very pronounced limp as he tries to battle through an ankle injury.
Without his trademark mobility, Jackson's threat as a runner is practically erased, which is a massive blow to this run-heavy Ravens offense. That said, the Ravens have a solid backup QB in Tyler Huntley and he was activated from the COVID-19 list on Thursday.
The Ravens had to play without both Jackson and Huntley in Week 16 and having either back would be a boost for their offense. Unfortunately, their defense still looks like a major problem. The Ravens were shredded for 525 yards through the air by Joe Burrow and the Bengals last week while surrendering 31 points and four offensive touchdowns to the Packers the previous Sunday.
Baltimore's secondary has been wrecked by season-ending injuries to their two best cornerbacks and they now rank 31st in the league in weighted defense DVOA according to Football Outsiders, including 30th against the pass.
That's bad news against a Rams aerial attack that is fourth in the league in dropback EPA/play and is led by QB Matthew Stafford, who ranks fourth in passing yards (4,339) and second in passing touchdowns (36). Look for the Rams to exploit a vulnerable Baltimore defense and back them on the spread.
Prediction: Rams -3.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The weather will definitely be a factor to keep in mind before betting the total with a strong chance of showers and winds expected to average 17 miles per hour at M&T Bank Stadium.
As productive as Stafford has been this season, he's coming off a poor performance against the Vikings and has thrown nine interceptions over his last seven games (with three fumbles over that span). Those turnovers can kill drives and we could see Rams coach Sean McVay opt for a more conservative game plan to cut down on those mistakes.
The Rams should be able to excel on defense against a Ravens offense that will either be limited by a backup QB or a hobbled Jackson. Baltimore's bread and butter is its running game but Jackson likely won't be his usual scrambling threat with that bum ankle.
The Ravens rank fifth in the league with 137.7 rushing yards per game but Los Angeles is built to stop the run, ranking second in the league in rush EPA and holding opponents to 3.8 yards per carry. With the Rams defense also ranking fifth in the league in weighted defense DVOA, expect this contest to be lower scoring.
Prediction: Under 46.5 (-110)
Best bet
When it comes to the first quarter, neither team typically gets off to quick starts on offense. The Rams rank a middling 16th in the NFL with 4.0 points per game in the first quarter and Baltimore ranks 25th with 2.9 ppg.
These sides do play well on defense in the opening frame. The Rams are fourth in the league in first-quarter scoring defense (2.9 ppg), while the Ravens rank sixth (3.4 ppg). The Rams actually haven't allowed a single point in the opening quarter in their last four contests. Expect a slower start on Sunday and bet the Under on the first-quarter total.
Pick: First Quarter Under 7.5 (+100)
