San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Two teams who are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs face off on Thursday night when the 6-7 San Francisco 49ers welcome the 7-6 Los Angeles Rams to Levi's Stadium.

Both franchises trail the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West and, for the 49ers in particular, this is a must-win game with four weeks of the regular season still remaining.

Kyle Shanahan's team, who are three-point favourites on Thursday night, will need to defeat the Rams before turning their attention to tough closing fixtures against the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.

San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams prop bets - tips and predictions

Brock Purdy anytime touchdown scorer - 7/2

After a run to last season's NFL Championship game, it's been a tumultuous year for San Francisco, who have had to battle injuries to key personnel, including star running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey.

The RB room has been decimated in Santa Clara and, after making his belated seasonal debut in Week 10, McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury following the 49ers' Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

His back-up, Jordan Mason, suffered a similar fate against the Bills, limping out of the game with an ankle sprain, so Isaac Guerendo got the start in last week's 38-13 win over the Bears and performed impressively, running in two touchdowns and chalking up 128 total yards.

However, Guerendo sprained his foot in that contest and was limited in the 49ers only practice this week, so his participation is also up in the air, meaning that the men from the Bay Area could turn to Patrick Taylor Jr. and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.

Regardless of whether or not Guerendo is able to play, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy could look to use his scrambling ability in the red zone and he appeals to score a touchdown at any time.

The Rams' defence has been among the worst in the NFL at defending the run this season - only the Giants, Cowboys, Colts and Panthers have conceded more rushing yards and, while Purdy is not renowned for his mobility, he has had four rushing touchdowns in his last four home starts.

Puka Nacua under 88.5 receiving yards - 10/11

Sophomore wideout Puka Nacua has been superb for the Rams, averaging a massive 111.2 receiving yards per game over the last five weeks, but there's every chance he will be kept in check by a strong 49ers defence.

While Nacua compiled a season-high 162 yards from 12 receptions in last week's thrilling 44-42 win over the Bills, he's up against a 49ers defence which has conceded the second-fewest passing yards this season and limited the Bears to just 94 passing yards last weekend.

Better can be expected from the Rams, but an over-under line of 88.5 looks on the high side, even for a receiver of Nacua's quality.

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San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams money line, spread, over/under

	Money Line	Spread	Over/Under
49ers	20/31	-3.0 - 20/21	Under 49.0 - 10/11
Rams	13/10	+3.0 - 20/23	Over 49.0 - 10/11

San Francisco 49ers -3.0 - 20/21

Both of these teams returned to winning ways last week as the 49ers blew out the Bears and the Rams' offence sparkled in the win over the Bills at the SoFi Stadium.

While that performance marked LA down as potential dark horses if they make the playoffs, it was an emotionally charged, adrenaline-fuelled contest and it could be difficult for them to find the energy to go again on a four-day turnaround on the road at a team of the 49ers' class.

San Francisco were able to coast to victory at home last week and, for all their injury issues, still look better equipped to cope with the short rest period.

The Rams won 27-24 when these teams met in Inglewood in Week Three and they also triumphed in the final game of the 2023 regular season, albeit when both teams started their back-up quarterbacks.

However, Shanahan has tended to hold sway in his previous battles with Rams coach Sean McVay, winning nine of 12 meetings since the start of the 2019 season. Take the 49ers to cover a three-point spread.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.