Halfway across the world, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will battle for an early lead in the vaunted NFC West division in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday night.
It's the first time the NFL has hosted a game in Australia, and both teams have taken vastly different approaches to preparing their players for the massive time adjustment.
The Niners departed San Francisco on Wednesday night of last week and arrived Friday morning local time after the 16-hour flight. This gives the players essentially one week to get accustomed to the opposite days and nights down under and continue their normal practice schedule.
The Rams, on the other hand, left Tuesday night of game week and landed Thursday morning local time, roughly 24 hours before the game starts. They took a similar approach for their London game last year - which L.A. won 35-7 against Jacksonville.
Both teams also look much different than they did last year. The Niners added Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk, and lost Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall at receiver, while also bringing back linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Of course, the Rams went all-in this offseason after coming up short in the NFC Championship game last year. Their defense struggled a bit rushing the passer and covering receivers one-on-one, so they added two of the best talents in those respective position groups in the league: Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie. They also got legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald to come out of retirement, but he'll be inactive for the game as he continues to ramp up in L.A.
The Niners will heavily feature Christian McCaffrey and the play-action game, while the Rams will look to feed Puka Nacua and Davante Adams on the offensive side of the ball. It should be a wonderful second game to the NFL season after the Patriots and Seahawks play in a Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday.
Let's get into the main line odds and how you can watch the game. Also, be sure to read our partner authors' expert betting picks and predictions for Niners vs. Rams on site.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Main Line Odds - Week 1
Moneyline | Spread | Total |
SF: +170 | SF +3.5 +100 | O48.5: -110 |
How to Watch Niners vs. Rams - Week 1
The San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, available worldwide. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:35 PM E.T.
All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
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