It’s not often that we get to see two teams from the same division face off in the NFC Championship. However, that’s exactly what we’re getting this time as two NFC West rivals face off.
The San Francisco 49ers head over to Los Angeles to take on the Rams on Sunday night. Jimmy Garoppolo and Co. better bring their A-game as they face Aaron Donald and the Rams.
The Los Angeles Rams were able to eliminate Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Pulling that off is no easy feat, but they face another tough test this weekend. They’re dealing with a few key injuries, which could hurt them.
However, they still remain the favorites at the sportsbook in this game. Should you run with the Rams? Or are the San Francisco 49ers the best bet?
Los Angeles Rams: Dominant defense will secure a win
We already know how dangerous the Los Angeles Rams offense can be. The main point the Rams need to focus on is playing incredible defense. The 49ers have weapons such as Deebo Samuel that can open up the entire field.
They’ll likely rely on Jalen Ramsey to make sure he doesn’t get out of hand. Another thing they can do is put a ton of pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Rams defense allows just 19.52 points per game, ranking fourth in the NFL. They also have a stingy run defense, powered by Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. With those two terrorizing quarterbacks and running backs, this game is perfect for the Rams.
They can get Jimmy Garoppolo on his heels early, forcing him to make mistakes. More mistakes equal more points.
San Francisco 49ers: Establishing the run will help the 49ers
Although the Rams have one of the best running defenses in the NFL, it won’t hurt to try early. The 49ers have the seventh-ranked running offense, averaging 128.47 yards per game.
If they can get a run-game established, it’ll take the pressure off of Jimmy Garoppolo. Keeping Garoppolo comfortable will help them as the pocket pressure begins to intensify.
On defense, the 49ers have a ton of players to worry about. Primarily, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. are the Rams’ two best wide receivers. If the 49ers can’t shut them down, they’ll lose this game on Sunday.
Fortunately, the 49ers have a top-ten passing defense, allowing only 207.16 yards per game. They’ll need to keep the Rams behind the sticks all night on Sunday.
Betting Stats
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise here that the Rams come into this game as the favorites. However, the spread isn’t very large at just -3.5 points, with the Rams -180 Moneyline. The 49ers are +160 Moneyline, with the current total at 46.
This season, the Rams have amassed quite an impressive record against the spread. They’re 14-5 ATS in the last nineteen NFL games.
The 49ers, on the other hand, are 12-7 ATS this season. However, they’ve gone 7-3 against the Rams in their last ten meetings.
The question is, will their prowess against the Rams lead them to an NFC Title? Or will they fall short when the game ends on Sunday?
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams Betting Prediction
When taking a look at the trends between these two teams, the 49ers seem like the best bet. They’ve performed well in their last ten games against the Rams and don’t have a bad ATS record.
However, this is the NFC Championship game, and you have to take into account the Rams’ performance lately. After taking that into consideration, we’ll go with the LA Rams.
Los Angeles only has to win by 3.5 points to cover the spread in this one. They were able to beat the Buccaneers last week on the road by three points. Before that, they demolished the Arizona Cardinals, 34-11.
Don’t underestimate the ability of the Rams. We think they’ll get to Garoppolo early and torment him the entire game. Take the Rams to win and cover the spread.
Los Angeles Rams -3.5 over the San Francisco 49ers
