Week 16 of the 2023 NFL schedule kicks off when the Los Angeles Rams host the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football at SoFi Stadium. The Rams (7-7) sit in second place in the NFC West. The Saints (7-7) are tied for the lead in the NFC South with the Buccaneers. Saints receiver Chris Olave will reportedly play through an ankle injury. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. Los Angeles is a 4-point favorite in the latest Rams vs. Saints odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 46.

Before you make any Saints vs. Rams picks or NFL bets, you need to see what SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein has to say, given his mastery of picks in games involving New Orleans.

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS. Those selections form the basis of his weekly SportsLine NFL best bets, which are 65-41-2 since the start of last season, including a 10-2 record the last four weeks.

Hartstein also has a read on the pulse of the Saints. In fact, he is 45-31 (+1049) on his last 76 against-the-spread picks in games involving New Orleans! Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Hartstein knows the Rams have averaged 31.7 points per game over their last three games, which ranks third in the league over that time. They have also averaged 6.0 yards per play over that time, which ranks fifth.

Hartstein also has taken into account that the Saints have allowed a combined 12 points over their last two games, which leads the league over that time. The defense also has allowed just 116.0 passing yards per game over the last two weeks, which also leads the NFL.

Now, Hartstein has locked in another confident against-the-spread pick for Rams vs. Saints. We can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, but he knows a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.

Who wins Rams vs. Saints on Thursday Night Football? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the Saints vs. Rams spread to jump on, all from the expert who's 45-31 on picks involving the Saints!