Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams 2016: Prediction, Betting Odds For Week 15 Thursday Night Football

After losing their fourth straight game, as well as their head coach, things don’t get any easier for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15 of the 2016 NFL season. The team heads on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football” in what’s likely to be another embarrassing defeat.

L.A. was beaten 42-14 at home by the Atlanta Falcons Sunday afternoon, losing a third game in a row by at least 16 points. Jeff Fisher was fired less than 24 hours later, forcing special teams’ coordinator John Fassel to take over as the interim head coach just three days before having to play the best team in the NFC West.

As they continue their freefall, the Rams will be hard-pressed to stay competitive with a team that could earn a first-round playoff bye. A win for the Seahawks would make them the first NFL team to clinch a division title, and they are 15-point favorites against Los Angeles. It’s the biggest betting line for any game this year, and the over/under of 38.5 is one of the lowest in 2016.

Seattle has had their share of ups and downs throughout the season, including in Week 2 when they were defeated in Los Angeles. The Rams held the Seahawks without a touchdown, and it would be the first of four times this year that the Seahawks were limited to 10 points or fewer. The most recent instance came on Sunday when Seattle was blown out in Green Bay, losing 38-10 in the worst game of Russell Wilson’s career.

Los Angeles has a talented defense, and they’ve proven they can slow down Seattle’s inconsistent offense. The Rams rank 10th in total defense, and they’ve beaten the Seahawks in four of their last five matchups. The way both teams have played lately, however, indicates that L.A. doesn’t have much of a chance to keep Thursday’s game close.

Wilson was dealing with an injury when he faced the Rams in September, and his recent five-interception performance was an aberration. The quarterback was plagued by tipped passes that weren’t his fault, and he should have a bounce-back performance against a secondary that’s been dominated in the last few games.

In consecutive losses to the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, the Rams have surrendered 866 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns. L.A. hasn’t recorded an interception since Week 11, and they aren’t likely to slow down a quarterback with a career 99.0 passer rating.

Rookie quarterback Jared Goff hasn’t proven he’s equipped to lead a competent offense, especially against Seattle’s vaunted secondary. While they played poorly against Aaron Rodgers and the loss of Earl Thomas has clearly affected the Seahawks, the team still has one of the league’s best pass defenses.

Seattle ranks sixth in opponents’ passer rating, but they’ve been vulnerable against the run on occasion. That shouldn’t be a problem Thursday, considering Rams’ running back Todd Gurley hasn’t even reached the 90-yard mark in one game this season.

Seattle is very difficult to beat at CenturyLink Field, and they are seemingly unstoppable against bad teams. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers by 19 points earlier in the season, and they topped the Carolina Panthers by 33 points in Seattle two weeks ago. Thursday’s contest should produce a similar result, and the game might be decided early in the second half.

Prediction: Seattle over Los Angeles, 26-9