Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers Betting Preview
Monday Night Football pits NFC West rivals against one another as the Los Angeles Rams (7-2) take on the San Francisco 49ers (3-5). The 49ers will host this one at Levi’s Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 pm ET.
After having won four in a row, the Rams were upset at home last week 28-16 by the Tennessee Titans. In the loss, Matthew Stafford threw for 294 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions.
The Rams also suffered a huge blow this week as wide receiver Robert Woods tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the season. Woods was the second-leading receiver with 556 yards and four touchdowns.
San Francisco also lost their last game against the division-leading Arizona Cardinals 31-17. In the loss, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end George Kittle led all receivers with 101 yards and a score.
The Rams are favored in this one despite playing on the road. They are -186 to win while the 49ers’ moneyline sits at +156. The spread features San Francisco +3.5, and the over/under for total points is 50.5.
More Odds
The Rams currently have the second-best odds of winning the NFC West at +195. The 49ers have the worst odds of winning the division at +8500.
In terms of winning the Super Bowl, the Rams have the third-best odds in the NFL at +750. The 49ers are +12000 to win Super Bowl LVI.
By The Numbers
Los Angeles has had one of the best offenses in the NFL thus far this season. They rank fifth, averaging 29 points per game (32.2 points on the road). The 49ers rank 18th, averaging 23.1 points per game.
Defensively, the Rams again have the edge. They rank 10th in scoring defense, allowing 21.8 points per game (18.5 on the road). The 49ers rank 26th allowing an average of 25.2 points per game (29.8 at home).
Stafford Loses One Weapon, Gains Another
While it is hard to replace a wide receiver like Robert Woods, the Rams, fortunately, added to their wide receiver depth this week by adding Odell Beckham Jr. This season, with the Browns, Beckham Jr. played in six games hauling in 17 passes for 232 yards.
He will now join a receiving core that also includes Cooper Kupp (74 receptions, 1,019 yards, ten touchdowns) and Van Jefferson (27 receptions, 433 yards, three touchdowns). The Rams’ passing unit currently ranks third in the NFL, averaging 296.3 yards per game. Under center for the Rams is Matthew Stafford. He has thrown for 2,771 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
On the ground, the Rams turn to Darrell Henderson Jr., who has 121 carries for 562 yards and five touchdowns. Henderson also has 144 yards receiving and another two scores.
49ers Trying To Upset Division Foe At Home
To say it has been an inconsistent and somewhat frustrating season for the 49ers is probably a bit of an understatement. Their defense has struggled at times, and the 49ers’ offense has been without many of its weapons throughout the season.
One of those weapons is tight end George Kittle. To date, Kittle has played in just five games and has struggled a bit in that time. Thus far, he has just 36 receptions for 328 yards and a touchdown. After a big game last week, the 49ers hope that he can keep it going this week.
One player who has not disappointed is wide receiver Deebo Samuel. He leads the team with 49 receptions, 882 yards, and four receiving touchdowns.
Under center for San Francisco is quarterback Jimmy Garropolo. In seven games, he has thrown for 1,754 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Elijah Mitchell leads the rushing attack with 469 yards and three touchdowns on 89 carries.
Taking Los Angeles To Win And Cover
One of the most interesting matchups in this game will be the Rams’ passing attack against the 49ers’ passing defense. The 49ers rank fourth in the NFL, allowing just 206.5 passing yards per game.
While Darrell Henderson is a nice weapon in the backfield, the Rams’ offense is built around their passing attack.
Even if the 49ers’ defense can slow Los Angeles down, there are still questions as to whether they can keep up with them offensively.
At the end of the day, the smartest bet is on the Rams to not only win this one but to cover the 3.5-point spread as well.
