NFC Championship Game odds, line: Rams vs. Saints picks, NFL predictions by top-rated expert who's 20-5 on L.A. games - CBS Sports

The weather outside might be frightful, with many areas of the country getting slammed by Winter Storm Harper, but Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams emanates from the cozy indoor confines of the Superdome. When these teams met earlier this season, the Saints won by 10 in a game that saw 80 points scored, but this time around, the home team will be without wide receiver Keith Kirkwood (calf) and tight end Benjamin Watson (illness). The Saints are favored by a field goal, the same as the opening line. Meanwhile, the Over-Under has seen movement and sits at 56.5 in the latest Rams vs. Saints odds, down a half-point from where it opened. Before you lock in any Rams vs. Saints picks and NFL predictions of your own, be sure to check out what SportsLine's R.J. White has to say. 

White again emerged as the top pro football handicapper on SportsLine this season, hitting an astounding 62 percent of his spread selections and netting $100 bettors a profit of nearly $2,000. The stats guru also cashed big last season in the world's most prestigious sports handicapping tournament, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, where he has driven deep two of the past four years. 

What's more, White has a strong record of success in handicapping these teams, the Rams in particular. He boasts an impressive 20-5 spread mark in games involving the Rams over the past two seasons.

Just last week, White advised SportsLine members that Los Angeles (-7) would have success running the ball against Dallas, which would be the difference-maker. The Rams did just that, piling up 273 yards on the ground in their eight-point victory. Anyone who followed White's advice booked another win. 

Now, White has analyzed Saints vs. Rams (stream live on fuboTV) from every angle and released a confident point-spread pick that is available at SportsLine. 

White knows that in the first meeting, the Rams were torched by Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, who had 211 yards and the game-sealing touchdown. But the Rams were without cornerback Aqib Talib, who missed the game with an ankle injury. L.A. has had better pass coverage and succeeded with zone schemes since Talib's return. 

The Rams erased an 18-point deficit in the second half in the earlier game because they found a way to generate pressure on Brees. The Saints quarterback went untouched in the first half, but Aaron Donald managed four hits after the break. Brees threw for 145 yards in the final two quarters compared to 201 in the first half. 

But just because L.A. has Donald doesn't mean it'll stay within the Rams vs. Saints spread on Sunday.

The last time the Saints hosted the NFC Championship, almost 10 years ago, Brees threw for three touchdowns in a thrilling win over the Minnesota Vikings. The future Hall of Famer hasn't lost a home playoff game as signal-caller for New Orleans. In his postseason career, Brees is completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 4,510 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The home team has covered the spread in seven straight meetings in this series. The Saints are on a 25-7 ATS run at home against opponents with winning records. They also have a 5-2 spread record in their past seven January games and have won seven consecutive home playoff games overall. 

We can tell you White is leaning toward the under, but his much stronger play is on the side. He has scoured this matchup and unearthed the critical factor that makes one side a must-back. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Rams vs. Saints? And what critical factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rams vs. Saints spread you should jump on, all from the top NFL expert who's hitting 80 percent of his NFL picks on Rams games, and find out.

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