The Los Angeles Rams are set to host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night in the NFC Championship Game. Both teams compete in the NFC West Division, and they also met up in a thrilling game in Week 18 of the season.
San Francisco has now won four straight games, and they have pulled up two straight upsets so far this postseason. The 49ers have been a great playoff team in recent seasons, and they won’t be afraid of taking on the Rams in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles won the NFC West this season after finishing with a 12-5 record. The Rams blew out the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card Round and then hung on to upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Los Angeles Rams are 3.5-point betting favorites over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.
49ers Have to Run
If the 49ers are going to win on Sunday night, then they are going to have to run the football well. San Francisco averaged nearly 130 rushing yards per game during the regular season, and they have had some success against the Rams in the past.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw for just 131 yards in the win over Green Bay, and he will have to play better in this matchup. San Francisco doesn’t want to get into a shootout, but they have to find a way to put up some points.
The secondary for San Francisco is also going to be a huge key in this game as they have to find a way to slow down Cooper Kupp. San Francisco did well against the explosive Packers, but this will be another interesting test.
Rams Going to Attack
The Los Angeles Rams are going to take plenty of deep shots in this game, and the accuracy of quarterback Matthew Stafford will be a huge key. Stafford threw for nearly 4,900 yards during the regular season, but he also threw 17 interceptions.
Cooper Kupp had 183 receiving yards in the win over the Buccaneers, and he is always a key for the Rams. Los Angeles still needs to run the football better, but that passing attack can be nearly impossible to stop.
The defense for Los Angeles is loaded with talent, but they struggled in the fourth quarter against Tampa Bay. If the Rams can stop the run, then they will give themselves a chance to pull off a win.
Rams Win Close Game
All four games in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs came down to the final few seconds, and this one should do the same. There just isn’t much separation between the Rams and 49ers, even though each team wins games in completely different ways.
San Francisco has a rushing attack that continues to give every team fits, and that will allow them to stay in this game. Los Angeles will eventually take over this game with the passing attack, but it’s not going to come as easy as one might expect.
Take the 3.5 points and bet on the San Francisco 49ers, but it will be the Los Angeles Rams that win to advance to the Super Bowl.