Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video will feature a massive game between two teams fighting for a playoff spot. It's time to continue our NFL odds series with a Saints-Rams prediction and pick.

The New Orleans Saints are coming off one of their better games of the season in the 24-6 win over the New York Giants. They did so without star receivers Chris Olave and Michael Thomas. Derek Carr passed for three touchdowns and finished 23-28 passing in one of his more impressive games of the season. At (7-7), New Orleans is second in the NFC South and a win over the Los Angeles Rams would put them in a good position to potentially claim the division this weekend with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) facing the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Saints and Bucs face off next week in Week 17 in Tampa Bay.

The Rams feel like a much better team than their record shows at (7-7). If injuries didn't get in the way, we could be talking about this team as a contender in the NFC. The conference is stacked with the Niners, Eagles, Lions, and Cowboys all fighting for the top seed. LA is coming off a win over the Washington Commanders 28-20 and have won four of their last five games. The Rams need this game badly as they face another potential win next week against the Giants. In Week 18, the Rams play the 49ers. They are hoping to have two more wins under their belt before that tough matchup.

Here are the Saints-Rams NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NFL Odds: Saints-Rams Odds

New Orleans Saints: +4.5 (-115)

Los Angeles Rams: -4.5 (-105)

Over: 46.5 (-105)

Under: 46.5 (-115)

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Why The Saints Could Cover The Spread

The good news for the Saints offense is that Chris Olave was limited in practice on Tuesday while not practicing on Monday. The Saints will need Olave active if they want a better chance at covering this spread and potentially upsetting the Rams. He is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out in the win over NY. Olave is one of the more productive receivers in the NFL as he is roughly in the top 20 in catches and yards. He has 72 receptions (18th in NFL) for 918 yards (21st in NFL) on the season. The Saints hope he can return to action against a gritty Rams defense.

Derek Carr hasn't had the debut season for the Saints like he had hoped but he is still playing well enough to lead them to the playoffs. He surpassed 3,000 passing yards on the season and is coming off a game where he didn't turn the ball over, so that is a great sign. Carr needs to build off the momentum he and the offense have right now scoring over 24 points in each of the last three games.

The Saints' secondary is playing well and they have a tough assignment against the Rams' passing attack. Defending Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua is no easy task and Matt Stafford has them rolling right now. Any chances of covering this spread start with making sure those two don't beat you.

Cameron Jordan was limited in practice on Tuesday. Ryan Ramczyk is currently questionable for Thursday.

Why The Rams Could Cover The Spread

Even with the loss to the AFC-leading Ravens, the Rams have played very well in the last five weeks. They look like a completely new team and the offense is rolling. The Rams struck gold with Nacua and the rise of Kyren Williams is massive as well. Williams is up to 953 rush yards (5.1 yards per carry) on the year after another 150+ yard game. He's now fourth in yards and has only played in 10 games. The rising star back is in the conversation as one of the most improved players in 2023 and the more they feed him the rock the better they are. When at full potential, this offense can be one of the best in the league and if Stafford is on his game there will be nothing the Saints can do to stop them.

Earnest Jones continues to play elite defense for the Rams. He is leading the team in tackles by a wide margin with 125 total. Jordan Fuller is second with 83 so that shows how valuable Jones is to the defense right now. The 24-year-old linebacker finished with seven tackles and one sack against the Commanders. He's had 10+ tackles in a game seven times this season.

The Rams defensive front will be a huge factor in this matchup. If they can disrupt Carr's flow and sack him a few times then they will control this game. LA is only 26th in the NFL in sacks this year and the Saints are right behind them at 27th. You might not see many sacks forced on Thursday unless Aaron Donald or Cameron Jordan take over.

Final Saints-Rams Prediction & Pick

This has the makings of being a great game with a ton of playoff implications. Both teams are playing well and have a lot at stake. The Rams are at home and have the better offense. Olave will more than likely play with what is on the line but I don’t think the Saints have enough to beat the Rams on the road in a short week. Take the Rams to win this game in a high-scoring affair.

Final Saints-Rams Prediction & Pick: Rams -4.5 (-105), Over 46.5 (-105)