The NFL Conference Championships get underway Sunday, setting the stage for Super Bowl LIII. In the NFC Championship Game, the New Orleans Saints welcome the Los Angeles Rams to the Big Easy Sunday afternoon.

Here’s a closer look at the odds and betting angles for the NFC Championship:

Spread
The Saints opened as field-goal favorites at home and instantly took money, tacking an extra half-point on the spread and sitting at -3.5 for most of the week. But, as the weekend drew closer some sportsbooks drew in Rams money and brought the spread back to its opener with adjusted vig on the Saints.

New Orleans took a 45-35 home victory over L.A. back in Week 9, but lost in that shootout was the fact the Saints held a 35-14 lead and watched the Rams tie the game in the fourth quarter before eventually running out of gas as coming up short as 1.5-point road favorites.

New Orleans has looked far from that team in recent games, going just 1-5 ATS in its last six outings including a come-from-behind win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round last weekend. This once-power offense has sputtered, and the defense has stepped up and picked up the slack, keeping New Orleans in most games during this slide.

Los Angeles also closed out the season with an inconsistent record, picking apart weaker foes but losing against quality opposition. The Rams flipped that trend with a very impressive win over Dallas, wearing down one of the top defenses in the NFL with creative playcalling that left the Cowboys on empty come the final quarter.

Total
Books posted an opening Over/Under of 57 points and this has stayed still most of the week, dipping slightly to 56.5 with some money on the Under. As mentioned, New Orleans defense has really been the star for this team in final third of the season, holding opponents to an average of 16.6 points per game over their last nine contents – including giving up 14 points to Philadelphia last weekend.

The Rams defense looked tremendous in the win over Dallas. Los Angeles plugged up the holes and stuffed the NFL’s rushing leader, Ezekiel Elliott, while also putting constant pressure on Dak Prescott. The defensive line is able to create the pressure alone, leaving the L.A. defense to use linebackers in coverage to crowd the middle of the field.

Rams QB Jared Goff has struggled to produce away from home, posting a passer rating of 117 at home but just 83 as a visitor. Luckily, the offense isn’t all on him and the Rams delivered a healthy dose of the ground game versus Dallas, which is a strategy which could help slow down the Saints and keep this score Under the number.

The Saints have been a solid Under play at home all season, boasting a 2-6 Over/Under record in their eight games inside the Superdome. The Rams have also been kind to Under players, with a 2-6 O/U mark on the road.

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