The drama of this game was removed late in Week 17 when the Los Angeles Rams clinched the NFC West through a strength-of-victory tiebreaker. As a result, the Rams are expected to rest several starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks, making Seattle the clear favorite.

How to watch Seahawks at Rams

Los Angeles still has something at stake in this game regarding seeding. A Rams loss, combined with a Tampa Bay win over the New Orleans Saints, would drop LA down to the No. 4 seed in the NFC, meaning its first playoff game would be against the loser of Sunday night’s game between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.

In either case, that means a contest against one of the five best teams in the NFL. A win and securing the No. 3 seed would mean a game against the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers — a significant drop in competition.

The difference in matchups is apparently not worth the risk for Rams coach Sean McVay, who seems likely to roll with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. Additionally, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, as well as running back Kyren Williams, might not play or could see limited action.

Seattle is looking to win 10 games for the first time in four years. Although the Seahawks were eliminated from playoff contention, they have been 5-2 since their bye week. Back-to-back defeats against Green Bay and Minnesota in December were simply too much to overcome in the race for the division.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams odds

Expert picks for Seahawks vs. Rams

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(Photo of Geno Smith: Rio Giancarlo / Getty Images)