Seahawks at Rams how to watch: TV, NFL live stream, odds, pick for rare Tuesday NFC West showdown

The Los Angeles Rams had a week ravaged by COVD-19, having 18 players (including the practice squad) on the reserve/COVID-19 list as recently as Monday. With the numbers worse earlier in the week, the NFL made the decision to postpone the game from Sunday to Tuesday. 

Los Angeles has plenty at stake heading into this showdown with the Seattle Seahawks, needing a win to tie the Arizona Cardinals for first place in the division (Arizona holds the tiebreaker by having a better division record). The Rams can also inch closer toward locking up a playoff berth with a victory.

Seattle is also in the playoff hunt, 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the NFC. The Seahawks need a victory if they are going to remain in the playoff race, making the battle with the Rams their biggest game of the year. 

Can the Rams keep pressure on the Cardinals? Will the Seahawks remain alive in the wild NFC wild card standings? Here’s a preview of the rare Tuesday matchup: 

How to watch

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 21 | Time: 7 p.m. ET

Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)

TV: CBS | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds: Rams -7, O/U 45.5

Key matchups

Russell Wilson vs. Cover-3 defense

The Rams like to run a Cover-3 defense — and Russell Wilson enjoys that type of matchup. Los Angeles has the third-highest rate of Cover-3 defense in the NFL, lining up in Cover-3 43% of the time. Wilson has seen his fair share of Cover-3 this year, having a passer rating of 104.7 (eighth-highest in the NFL) and a touchdown rate of 3.8% (fifth-best in league). 

Wilson is coming off one of his best games of the year in a win over the Texans, completing 17 of 28 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns (the 260 yards are his most in a game since returning from his finger injury). Wilson is heating up at the right time, and plays well against a Cover-3 — so the Rams may want to switch up the coverage. 

Seahawks run offense vs. Rams run defense

The Seahawks have used the run game to pace their two-game win streak, averaging 6.1 yards per carry (second-most in NFL) and 3.3 yards post contact per rush (seventh-most in league) over the last two weeks. The Rams have one of the best defenses in the league against the run, as their 3.9 yards per carry allowed is the third best in the NFL. 

Seattle’s yards before contact per rush over the last two weeks is 2.77 — which leads the league. The Rams have allowed just 82 rush yards per game over the last two weeks, making the matchup in the trenches one of the most intriguing of the game. 

Prediction

Seattle is playing better over the last few weeks and Wilson is healthy, so this is going to be a tough game for Los Angeles. The Rams have been hit hard by COVID and its uncertain which of their players will be available for the rematch. Getting Darrell Henderson back will be a huge plus for the run offense, especially against a defense that allows just 3.8 yards per carry (first in NFL). 

Both the Rams and Seahawks need this game, but hard to bet against Seattle with Wilson playing well. The Seahawks aren’t done yet. 

Pick: Seahawks 27, Rams 24