San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Odds: NFC Championship Early Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Odds: NFC Championship Early Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
The NFC Championship Game matchup is officially set.
Next Sunday night, the 6-seed San Francisco 49ers will collide with the 4-seed Los Angeles Rams for the right to advance to Super Bowl LVI. As both teams hail from the NFC West Division, this will be the third time that they have faced one another this season alone. Each of the first two meetings was won by the 49ers including an overtime affair in the final week of the regular season that enabled San Francisco to clinch a playoff berth. Despite the previous results, opening NFL betting odds list the home side as a small favorite for the 49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship Game matchup.
49ers vs. Rams Opening NFL Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
NFL Postseason — NFC Championship Game
San Francisco 49ers (12-7 SU, 11-8 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Rams (14-5 SU, 10-9 ATS)
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2021
Start Time: 6:30 PM EST
Location: SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, CA
TV Coverage: FOX
San Francisco 49ers Preview
Think the 49ers will win it all? Click here to bet them at +475
It took some late-game magic for the 49ers to get past the top-seeded Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round. Nonetheless, after needing to win their final two regular-season games just to make the playoffs, San Francisco is now one win away from the Super Bowl. Considering how the two regular-season matchups with the Rams went, Kyle Shanahan’s bunch has to be feeling fairly confident ahead of the NFC Championship Game.
The biggest concern for the Niners going into their Divisional Round contest was the health of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Whether it was his thumb and shoulder injuries or the frigid Green Bay temperatures, the veteran was far from sharp against the Packers. San Francisco’s only touchdown in a defensive slugfest came on a blocked punt recovery by Talanoa Hufanga. Garoppolo and the 49ers’ offense do deserve credit for getting in position for a game-winning Robbie Gould field goal as time expired.
Considering the success that the 49ers had running the ball against the Rams in both regular-season matchups, it would be stunning to see them alter their primary offensive focus any. The tandem of Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel continue to garner the majority of carries. One key thing for bettors to monitor in the week leading up to the NFC title game is the health of star left tackle, Trent Williams. X-rays on his ankle injury officially came back negative, but the 49ers will need their best lineman to be up to snuff as they prepare to face one of the top defensive fronts in all of football.
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Los Angeles Rams Preview
Think the Rams will win it all? Click here to bet them at +200
The Rams tried to choke away a 27-3 Divisional Round lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in every way possible. Perhaps Matthew Stafford just wanted to get his first signature playoff moment out of the deal? Well, the veteran QB certainly did just that as he connected with Cooper Kupp on a bomb to set up a chip-shot game-winning field goal by Matt Gay. Despite the Week 18 loss to the 49ers dropping the Rams to the 4-seed, they are now set to host the NFC Championship Game. With Super Bowl LVI set to be played in SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles would also be the home team for the big game should they make it.
Stafford and Kupp figure to be two prominent factors in next Sunday’s NFL betting matchup with the 49ers. As the weak point of San Francisco’s defense is the secondary, the Rams will certainly need to stretch the field and test the inconsistent defensive backs. Meanwhile, it’s hard telling what Sean McVay will opt to do with the backfield situation after Cam Akers fumbled twice in the Divisional Round. While he presents as a better pass-catcher than Sony Michel, the Rams certainly cannot afford to have him put the ball on the ground again next week.
Defensively, the Rams have been virtually dominant for seven of eight quarters played this postseason. Then again, one of the two late scores allowed to the Bucs came on a short field. The other was on a single play as star corner Jalen Ramsey got beat in one-on-one coverage. It will be paramount for Aaron Donald and the L.A. front to do a better job of stopping the run than they did in the two previous games against the Niners this season.
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49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship Game Opening Betting Odds
The following table displays the opening lines and best odds for the 49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship Game matchup.
| Team | Moneyline | ML Implied Probability | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | +145 | 40.8% | +3 (+100) | O 47 (-110) |
| Rams | -165 | 62.3% | -3 (-120) | U 47 (-110) |
49ers vs. Rams NFL Betting Trends
- 49ers are 6-1 both SU and ATS in their last seven games.
- Six of the 49ers’ last seven games have gone under the total.
- Rams are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games.
- 49ers are 7-2 ATS in their last seven head-to-head matchups against the Rams on the road.
- NFL betting underdogs are a perfect 6-0 ATS in the last six 49ers vs. Rams head-to-head matchups.
49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship Game Betting Picks and Prediction
Very few NFL betting analysts likely predicted this NFC Championship Game matchup, but we’ll certainly take it. Both the 49ers and Rams bring plenty to the table on both sides of the ball. Each team plays a style of football that differs greatly from the other. Perhaps the only true similarity between the teams is the ability of their defensive fronts to wreak utter havoc in opposing backfields.
With a nod to the claim above, the battle in the trenches cannot be overlooked when it comes to handicapping this NFC title game matchup. If Trent Williams is healthy enough to provide his usual impact, the sum of the 49ers’ offensive and defensive fronts is greater than that of the Rams’ front lines. While Los Angeles has the recognizable star power on defense, it won’t matter one bit if the Rams can’t slow down the Niners’ rushing attack and force the ball into the injured throwing hand of Jimmy Garoppolo.
The tweet above presents one other element that is worth mentioning. Anyone who watched the Week 18 matchup between these two teams at SoFi Stadium can attest to the fact that at least 70% of the fans in attendance were supporting 49ers red and gold. Given the close proximity of the two cities, bettors should anticipate plenty of San Francisco fans making the trip once again. Thus, the Rams will have absolutely no home-field advantage to speak of. Grabbing a full field goal with the underdog 49ers is a great place to start off our NFC Championship Game betting picks.
49ers vs. Rams Prediction: 49ers +3 (Bet $100 to Win $100)
Henry has had a passion for sports that few can match for as long as he can remember. What started out as a five-year-old taking interest in the New York Jets and their green jerseys has since become a full-fledged career as a writer and sports betting analyst. His coverage primarily includes the NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college football, and college basketball. In 2020, he ranked among the top-10 most accurate experts ATS in the BettingPros NFL season contest. You can follow Henry’s sports work on Twitter and other social media platforms @HankTimeSports.