Super Bowl favorites Los Angeles Rams kick off their season when they take on San Francisco 49ers in the first NFL regular-season game to be played in Australia.
This Week 1 match-up will be played at the iconic sports venue of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, known as the MCG, with a local kick-off time of 10.35am on Friday, which means the game can be watched at primetime on Thursday night in the United States.
The teams have taken wildly different approaches to dealing with the huge time difference as the 49ers traveled to Australia last Friday and have had almost a week to shake off the jet lag.
Meanwhile. the Rams will be landing just 24 hours before the game and hoping to be in and out before they feel any ill-effects.
Travel plans aside, two of the most talented teams in the NFL should get a fascinating NFC West race off to an entertaining start as they bid to unseat the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in their elite division.
49ers vs. Rams betting tips and predictions
San Francisco 49ers +3.5 (-110)
The Rams clearly took it personally that their NFC West rivals the Seahawks beat them in last season's NFC Championship game and went on to win the Super Bowl.
SoFi Stadium is hosting the big game again this season and the Rams have gone all-in to try to ensure they are playing in it.
They pulled off a blockbuster trade to bring in Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, at the heavy expense of their own young pass-rusher Jared Verse and several draft picks, having previously upgraded their defense by trading for cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Whether the Rams' star players are in top form in the first game remains to be seen, though, as Garrett has been battling a knee issue, while star wide receiver Puka Nacua has been involved in off-field distractions.
The major worry for potential Rams backers, though, has to be their approach to this one-off game as their travel plans could either prove to be a masterstroke or a huge blunder.
Experienced travelers are suggesting the 49ers have called this one right and that makes the Rams worth fading as favorites of more than a field goal.
The Rams won both games between the teams last season, but in a campaign that was affected by injuries to key players, the 49ers fielded back-up QB Mac Jones in both games as Brock Purdy was out of action.
Despite their issues, they managed to go 12-5 and reach the divisional round of the playoffs, where they had nothing left in the tank and were steamrolled 41-6 by the Seahawks.
They should be capable of keeping things closer than that with the Australian fans expected to be on their side as the 49ers have embraced the host country since their early arrival.
Blake Corum over 43.5 rushing and receiving yards (-110)
The Rams still have a couple of players who look undervalued in the markets for their opening game and running back Blake Corum is top of the list.
The 25-year-old took a back seat to starter Kyren Williams in his rookie year, but during his second season last year he was earning more and more work and he had 48 or more rushing yards in five of the last six regular-season games last season.
Corum provides big-play ability and is a great closer late in games. He added 10 or more receiving yards in four of his last six appearances last season and looks good to go over 44 yards from scrimmage in the game.
Davante Adams anytime touchdown scorer (+125)
While Nacua was comfortably the Rams' top wide receiver last season with 1,715 receiving yards, more than twice as many as any other player on the team, he was not the leading touchdown scorer at the position.
Veteran Davante Adams had 14 TDs compared to just 10 for Nacua and eight for tight end Colby Parkinson.
Adams has reportedly looked as tough to cover as ever in training camp at the age of 33 and no one could blame QB Matthew Stafford for looking in his direction whenever the Rams are in the red zone.
The former Green Bay Packer led the team in receiving in both games against the 49ers last season, scoring a touchdown against them in their most recent meeting.
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49ers vs. Rams odds
San Francisco 49ers | +165 |
Los Angeles Rams | -200 |
Spread | LA Rams -3.5 |
Total Points | O/U 48.5 |
49ers vs. Rams
Anytime touchdown
Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers) | -150 |
Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams) | -140 |
Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams) | +120 |
Davante Adams (Los Angeles Rams) | +125 |
Blake Corum (Los Angeles Rams) | +150 |
Mike Evans (San Francisco 49ers) | +210 |
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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.
