There weren’t many people circling Rams-Saints on their calendars a month ago, but thanks to a 4-1 stretch by the Rams and back-to-back wins by the Saints, both teams come into this Week 16 matchup at 7-7.
The Rams are seventh in the NFC and the Saints are eighth, making his a game with massive playoff implications. As a prime-time matchup on Thursday night, the NFL is probably thrilled it decided not to flex Rams-Saints out.
It’s not a win-and-you’re-in situation for either team, and neither will be eliminated with a loss, but the team that comes away victorious on Thursday night will have a clear path to the postseason. Currently, the Rams have a 52% chance to make the playoffs, according to the New York Times. With a win, their postseason odds jump to 74%. Great, right? Well, on the flipside, a loss sends their playoff odds plummeting to only 12%.
That’s all dependent on the other results in Week 16, mainly pertaining to the Seahawks, Packers, Vikings and Buccaneers, but Los Angeles’ postseason odds will be severely impacted by a loss.
- Rams’ current playoff odds: 52%
- Rams’ playoff odds with win: 74%
- Rams’ playoff odds with loss: 12%
It’s a similar story for the Saints, who are in a better position than the Rams thanks to the NFC South being a much weaker division than the NFC West, which has already been locked up by the 49ers.
If the Saints win, their odds improve from 45% to 79%. If they lose, they drop to 26%.
- Saints’ current playoff odds: 45%
- Saints’ playoff odds with win: 79%
- Saints’ playoff odds with loss: 26%
These may not be viewed as two of the better teams in the NFL, but Thursday night’s showdown at SoFi Stadium carries huge playoff implications. It’s virtually a playoff game because the loser will have a difficult time getting into the postseason unless there are some unexpected upsets the rest of the way.