On Sunday, January 18, the Chicago Bears will look to continue their magical season when they host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. We try to dive into all of the big games throughout the NFL season and the NFL Playoffs won’t be any different. So keep reading for a Rams vs. Bears betting preview. Also, make sure you head over to our NFL Divisional Round Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch Rams vs. Bears
When: Sunday, January 18 at 6:30 pm ET
Where: Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
Channel: NBC / Peacock
Rams vs. Bears Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Wednesday, January 14. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Rams -198 Bears +164
Spread: Rams -3.5 (-118), Bears +3.5 (-102)
Total: Over 48.5 (-110), Under 48.5 (-110)
Rams vs. Bears Analysis
The Bears were considered “lucky” all throughout the regular season, but all of a sudden people are flocking to back them against the Rams. Our VSiN betting splits pages show a decent amount of bettors on Chicago, which probably shouldn’t be surprising after the second half the Bears played against the Packers last week. Their offense really started clicking in the fourth quarter, and Caleb Williams ended up throwing for 361 yards with two touchdowns in the win. Meanwhile, the Rams really struggled to put the Panthers down, winning by only three as 10-point favorites.
Despite what we saw last week — and some of the lackadaisical performances we’ve seen out of Los Angeles recently — I still think the Rams are the right side here. Last year, when Los Angeles faced Detroit, the Rams held the Lions to only 20 points in regulation. That’s significant because it shows that Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who was the Detroit offensive coordinator last year, didn’t rip through the Los Angeles defense. That was a Rams defense that was much worse than the one this year, with Los Angeles having an EPA per play allowed of 0.050 in 2024 compared to -0.069 in 2025. The Lions were also much better offensively than this Bears team is, as they had an EPA per play of 0.155 last year and Chicago is at 0.076 this season.
I just don’t think it’s crazy to expect the Rams to have a good plan in place to stop this offense, and it’s not like they’re not fully capable. They’re the seventh-best defense in the league by EPA per play allowed (-0.069), and they’re solid against both the run and the pass.
I also don’t see Chicago having an answer for the Los Angeles offense. Unless the weather really gets to Matthew Stafford, the Rams should continue to hum on this side of the ball. They’re the No. 2 offense in the league by EPA per play (0.149), and they’re flat-out special when looking at the passing game. That’s why Stafford is currently in the running for MVP after a year in which he threw for 4,707 yards with 46 touchdowns and eight picks. And with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams catching passes, Stafford has some of the best weapons in the league. Even while Los Angeles has struggled in recent games, the offense has showed up when needed. I don’t see it failing now.
Laying 3.5 with the Rams just feels like the ultimate bargain in this spot. When looking at rbsdm’s Team Tiers, the Rams are No. 1 in the NFL in Net EPA per play and sitting atop Tier 1. The Bears are in Tier 3.
Rams vs. Bears Player Props
Lean: Puka Nacua Anytime TD Scorer (-115)
The Rams have a bunch of reliable pass-catching weapons for Stafford, but Nacua is the guy the veteran quarterback trusts the most. That’s especially true when talking about putting six on the scoreboard. Nacua has scored five touchdowns over the last four games, and he finished with double-digit scores during the regular season. Well, in a must-win game, I wouldn’t want any other prop than Nacua scoring another touchdown.
Rams vs. Bears Pick
Los Angeles is 8-6 against the spread in playoff games under Sean McVay, and the team is also 20-16 ATS as road favorites of 7 or fewer points with him on the sidelines. Chicago is also just 2-3 both SU and ATS when playing as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points under Johnson. With that in mind, I’m not trying to overthink this. I’m laying the points with the Rams.
Bet: Rams -3.5 (-105 – 1.5 units)
