The Carolina Panthers are hosting the Los Angeles Rams because Carolina won the NFC South and qualified for the playoffs as a division champion, earning the right to host this Wild Card game despite having a worse record than the Rams.

Playoff seeding rules

  • NFL rules give automatic home games in the Wild Card round to division winners, regardless of overall win–loss record.
  • In this case, the Rams entered the postseason as a Wild Card team with a better record, while the Panthers got in by finishing first in their division, so the game was scheduled in Charlotte.

What this means for Panthers–Rams

  • The matchup is the opening game of NFL Wild Card Weekend, with the Panthers ending an eight-year playoff drought by hosting in front of their home crowd.
  • Local coverage in Charlotte describes the city and team operations as “buzzing” and in “mass chaos” (in a positive way) due to ticket demand and excitement for hosting a playoff game.

TL;DR: The Panthers are hosting the Rams because division champs get the home Wild Card game, even if the visiting team has the better record.