NFC: Rams (11-7) at Eagles (15-3)

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, NBC | BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 6

Series record: The teams are meeting for the fourth time in the playoffs, with the Rams having won two of the previous three matchups.

Last meeting: The Eagles defeated the Rams 37-20 in Los Angeles on Nov. 24. Saquon Barkley set a franchise record with 255 rushing yards, including touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards, and A.J. Brown caught six passes for 109 yards and a TD. Barkley’s rushing total was the ninth most in an NFL game.

Last week: Rams defeated Vikings 27-9; Eagles beat Packers 22-10.

Eagles player to watch: Barkley finished the regular season with a club-record 2,005 rushing yards, 101 shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105, set in 1984. The Eagles’ star running back was held out of the meaningless regular-season finale against the Giants as a precaution by coach Nick Sirianni, and Barkley ran for 119 yards in his return against the Packers last week.

Rams player to watch: WR Cooper Kupp. The MVP of the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, Cupp had just one catch for 29 yards on his only target in the Rams’ win over the Vikings on Monday night. Kupp has just five catches in the past four games he has played, including zero in a 12-6 Rams win at the 49ers on Dec. 13.

Key matchup: The Rams defense against Barkley. The Rams couldn’t stop Barkley the first time, and there isn’t much statistically that says they’ll stop him this time. Los Angeles allowed 353.1 yards on defense this season, including 130.0 rushing. Barkley became the ninth player in league history to rush for 2,000-plus yards, helping the Eagles average 179.3 yards on the ground, good for second in the NFL.

Series notes: These teams last met in the playoffs in the 2001 season, when the Rams were in St. Louis. ... On Dec. 31, 1989, Jim Everett threw a pair of TD passes and the Rams scored a 21-7 playoff upset of the Eagles in Philadelphia. ... The Eagles have won 13 of 14 overall and 24 of its past 29 at home, including the playoffs.

Stats & stuff: Rams QB Matthew Stafford, a 16-year veteran, completed his first 10 passes on his way to throwing for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Vikings in a game moved to Arizona because of the wildfires in Southern California. ... The Rams sacked the Vikings’ Sam Darnold nine times, tying an NFL playoff record, and held All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson without a second-half catch. … The Eagles intercepted Packers QB Jordan Love three times last week, one each by Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Slay, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. The Eagles ranked sixth in the NFL in the regular season in turnover margin. … K Jake Elliott missed an extra point against the Packers. The normally reliable kicker went 28 of 36 in the regular season, missing six of seven from 50-plus yards. … The Eagles finished with a single-season record of 3,048 rushing yards. … The Eagles fell 15 points shy of eclipsing the club record of 477, set in 2022. … DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson tied his career high with six interceptions. … The Eagles’ defense, led by veteran coordinator Vic Fangio, finished the regular season ranked first overall (278.4 yards per game) and tops in passing defense (174.2 yards per game). It is the seventh time in club history the Eagles have led the league in total defense, also doing it in 1991, 1981, 1953, 1949, 1945 and 1944.

The pick: The Eagles are going to run the ball often with Barkley, who set a franchise record with 255 yards rushing in a 37-20 win in Los Angeles on Nov. 24.Rams coach Sean McVay vs. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio should be a classic head-to-head matchup. Matthew Stafford had success throwing against Philly’s No. 1 defense in the previous meeting. He connected with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp 17 times for 177 of his 243 yards passing. The Rams have to travel cross-country and have one less day of rest following a Monday night win. But McVay is 16-7 against the spread on short rest, going 7-1 ATS in his past eight games. With Stafford at quarterback, McVay is 8-2 ATS on short rest. Still, playing in Philadelphia in January is different and the Eagles are 6-0 straight up at home in the divisional round, covering the spread in five of those games. EAGLES 29-17