San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams: NFL NFC Championship Preview

The Los Angeles Rams might own the NFC West this season, but one of their divisional rivals owns them, and that nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers, lies in the path of the Rams as they look to become the second team to host a Super Bowl in their own stadium – and the second in as many years. The last time the Rams beat the 49ers was back in 2018, as the 49ers have won six straight in the rivalry, sweeping the season series in each of the last three seasons. The 49ers throttled Dallas in the wild card round, winning a six-point game that was, in reality, much less competitive than the score indicated. Then they went to Green Bay and shut down Aaron Rodgers’ high-flying offense, winning 13-10 and becoming just the ninth team ever to win a playoff game without scoring an offensive touchdown. The Rams drilled Arizona in the wild card round and then roared out to a 27-3 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round. A crisis of confidence ensued, though, and the Rams started coughing the ball up left and right, and the Buccaneers came all the way back to tie the game at 27. A dreadful decision to run a slot blitz left Cooper Kupp wide open, though, and the Rams were able to get in field goal range and win as the gun sounded. Can the Rams end their 49ers misery, or will Jimmy Garoppolo have the last laugh once again?

Read on to find out our NFL betting thoughts on the NFC Championship.

NFL Playoff Preview: NFC Championship (Sunday, January 30)
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

When: Sunday, January 30, 2022, 6:30 pm ET
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
TV: FOX
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Hulu
NFL Odds: Los Angeles -3.5 / O/U 45.5 // San Francisco +155 / Los Angeles -180

Why should you bet on the 49ers?

The 49ers rely heavily on their defense and their running game. A team that started 3-5 before finishing things 7-2 snuck into the playoffs on Week 18, eliminating a 17-point deficit against these same Rams in Week 18 to notch the 27-24 overtime win. It was a 31-10 whipping of the Rams in Week 10 that jolted the 49ers back to life, keying their dominant run in the second half of the season. They generate a fearsome pass rush just using their front four, which means they don’t have to gamble with blitzes.

That defense ranked third in the NFL this season, permitting 310.0 yards per game. The offense has been efficient, picking up 375.7 yards per game (seventh overall), and their special teams has been transcendent at times, with lockdown kicker Robbie Gould and a unit that makes huge plays, such as that blocked punt that led to the 49ers’ only touchdown last week. Jimmy Garoppolo has thrown for 303 yards and completed 61.4% of his passes in these playoffs, but he has yet to throw a touchdown pass and already has two interceptions. Even so, the 49ers have been able to advance, and they have shown they can manage the San Francisco pass rush.

Why should you put your money on the Rams?

The Rams only lost five games in the entire regular season – although two of those came against the Rams, and two of their other three losses came against Green Bay and Tennessee, who would emerge as the top seeds in the NFC and AFC, respectively. On defense, they have been second in yards permitted in the playoffs (271.0), and their offense has generated 401.5 yards per game, third among playoff teams. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has a 74.5% completion rate with 568 yards and four touchdowns.

The question with the Rams, as always, has to do with ball security and dealing with a solid pass rush. Cooper Kupp has been a stellar receiver, with 14 catches for 244 yards and two scores in the two wins. Tailback Cam Akers has returned, running for a combined 103 yards. The doubts have to do with the Rams’ mental toughness when they start to face adversity. They crumbled against the 49ers twice this season, and they crumbled against Tampa Bay last week after building what looked like an insurmountable lead.

Final Score and Betting Prediction

Is this the week that the Rams stop making crucial mistakes and dominant an entire game? They haven’t really done that against a top team since they knocked off Tampa Bay in Week 3. We know what the 49ers’ ceiling looks like: ironclad defense, a pounding ground game and the occasional clutch pass from Jimmy G. Their floor is ugly, as Garoppolo has a tendency to throw bad interceptions under pressure. The Rams’ ceiling resembles that of the Chiefs or the Bills in terms of high-octane offense, but their floor is also littered with mistakes. I like the 49ers to keep it close and frustrate the Rams again, with a final score of 20-16.

Tampa : Bet the Game Today

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