San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

The NFL’s Conference Championship Round will conclude on Sunday night with a heavyweight NFC West rematch between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Coverage begins from SoFi Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

SCORE PREDICTION

Rams 30, Niners 20

BEST BETS

Rams -3.5 (-110) at BetMGM

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS PREDICTIONS

After finishing last in the NFC West with a record of 6-10 SU last year, San Francisco kept that same ball rolling with another underwhelming start to this season, as the Niners opened with a lackluster 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS skid – with their SU victories coming against the Lions, Bears, and Eagles.

San Francisco flipped the script and snuck into the playoffs with an overtime victory over the Rams in Week 18 though, as the Niners closed out the regular season with a sturdy 4-1 SU run, despite generating just 24.8 PPG offensively across that span.

Fortunately, the Niners’ defense didn’t need much support in order to reach the NFC Championship Game, considering San Francisco scored just 18 PPG on 276 YPG and allowed 13.5 PPG on 285 YPG across victories over the Packers and Cowboys to open the postseason.

On the other hand, the Rams were incredibly inconsistent throughout the first half of Matthew Stafford’s opening campaign with the team, as L. A. opened with a lackluster 7-4 SU run – while tallying 20 PTS or less in three of those SU losses.

The Rams have dominated since mid-December though, considering L. A. has scored 28.1 PPG and allowed 18.3 PPG across their current 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS run – which includes a pair of stellar 30-point offensive performances against the Cardinals and Buccaneers to kick off the postseason (32 PPG).

I’ll back the Rams at home here, as despite the Niners going 2-0 SU and ATS against L. A. during the regular season, my vote of confidence in Round 3 still belongs to a Rams squad that’s averaging 28.1 PPG on 363 YPG across their latest 7-1 SU stretch – which is a number the Niners have eclipsed just twice across that same timeframe (24.6 PPG).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

The Niners enter Sunday’s NFC Championship Game as 3.5-point road underdogs against the Rams at SoFi Arena, which marks the fourth straight game San Francisco has been an underdog in. The total for Sunday’s affair is stationed near OU 46 at most shops – marking the lowest number set for a matchup containing either of these teams this postseason.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING RESOURCES

• Matchup: NFC West
• Date: Sunday, January 30, 2022
• Venue: SoFi Stadium
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• TV-Time: FOX - 6:30 p.m. ET

• Weather Report
• Injury Report
• Super Bowl 56 Betting

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 12-7
• ATS: 11-8
• O/U: 8-11
• ATS - Away: 7-4

After posting a frustrating 3-5 SU start to the year, San Francisco managed to secure a Wild Card with an overtime victory over the Rams in Week 18, as the Niners enter Sunday’s NFC Title Game riding an impressive 9-2 SU run – despite scoring 23 PTS or less in five of those matchups.

The Niners probably won’t be able to ride the coattail of their defense to a victory in Sunday’s matchup though, considering the Ram have scored 28+ PTS in six of their last nine games (28.1 PPG) – which is a number the Niners have eclipsed just twice across that same timeframe.

LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 14-5
• ATS: 10-9
• O/U: 10-8-1
• ATS - Home: 5-4

After acquiring Stafford from Detroit last offseason, L. A.’s offense played phenomenal to start the year, as the Rams racked up 27.2 PPG on 384 YPG across Weeks 1 through 11 – yet their defense somewhat let them down, highlighted by Aaron Donald and company surrendering roughly 24 PPG on 352 YPG across that same timeframe.

The Rams’ defense stepped up enormously down the homestretch though, considering L. A. has surrendered 23 PTS or less in six of their last eight games (18.4 PPG, 317 YPG) – which includes a pair of gutsy defensive efforts against Arizona and Tampa Bay to open the postseason (19 PPG, 271 YPG). 

INSIDE THE STATS - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

• Record: 10-7
• Division Standing: 3rd - NFC West
• Points Scored: 427
• Points Allowed: 365
• PS/G: 25.1 (13th)
• PA/G: 21.5 (9th)

INSIDE THE STATS - LOS ANGELES RAMS

• Record: 12-5
• Division Standing: 1st - NFC West
• Points Scored: 460
• Points Allowed: 372
• PS/G: 27.1 (7th)
• PA/G: 21.9 (15th)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• SFO: Jimmy Garoppolo - QB (68.3% CMP, 254 YPG, 20 TD, 12 INT)
• SFO: Deebo Samuel - WR (77 REC, 59 CAR, 1,770 TOY YDS, 14 TD)
• LAR: Matthew Stafford - QB (67.2% CMP, 287 YPG, 41 TD, 17 INT)
• LAR: Cooper Kupp - WR (145 REC, 1,947 YDS, 16 TD)

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING CONCLUSION

After knocking off the Packers in a gritty low-scoring battle in the Divisional Round, the Niners enter Sunday’s NFC Championship Game as 3.5-point road underdogs against the Rams at SoFi Stadium – marking the eighth straight home game L. A. has been favored in.

I’ll lay the points with L. A. here, as Sean McVay’s team has been red hot since mid-December, considering the Rams are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS across their last eight games, while generating 28.1 PPG on 363 YPG offensively during that span – likely presenting a steep uphill battle for a Niners squad that’s scored 23 PTS or less in four of their last five events (20.6 PPG).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS BETTING TRENDS

• The Niners are 5-1 ATS in their last six matchups against the Rams.
• The Rams are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games.
• The Niners are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of the last six matchups between the Niners and Rams.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of the last seven Niners' games.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson